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Unknown  Mexico 

A    RECORD    OF 

FIVE    YEARS'    EXPLORATION    AMONG    THE 

TRIBES     OF    THE    WESTERN     SIERRA 

MADRE;   IN  THE  TIERRA  CALIENTE 

OF    TEPIC    AND    JALISCO;    AND 

AMONG    THE    TARASCOS 

OF    MICHOACAN 


BY 

CARL    LUMHOLTZ,    M.A. 

MEMBER    OF    THE    SOCIETY    OF    SCIENCES    OF    NORWAY;    ASSOCI6 

ETRANGER    DE    LA    SOCIETE    DE    L'ANTHROPOLOGIE    DE 

PARIS;    AUTHOR   OF   "AMONG   CANNIBALS,"    ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


VOLUME  I 


NEW    YORK 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

1902 


COPVRKJHT,     1902,     BY 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

Published,    November,    1902 


TROW  DIRECTORY 

PRINTING  AND  BOOKBINDING  COMPAN/ 

NEW  YORK 


MORRIS    K.  J  KSUP,  M.A.,  LL.D. 

PRESIDENT    OF    THE 

AMERICAN    MUSEUM    OF    NATURAL   HISTORY 

OF    NEW    YORK 

THE    PATRON    AND    FRIEND    OF   SCIENCE 

THIS    WORK 

IS    RESPECTFULLY    DEDICATED 

AS    A 

TOKEN    OF    GRATITUDE 

AND    REGARD 


1838456 


PREFACE 

IN  the  course  of  my  travels  in  Australia,  and  espe- 
cially after  my  arrival  at  Upper  Herbert  River  in 
Northern  Queensland,  I  soon  perceived  that  it  would 
be  impracticable  for  me  to  hunt  for  zoological  specimens 
without  first  securing  the  assistance  of  the  natives  of  the 
country.  Thus  it  came  about  that  for  over  a  year  I 
spent  most  of  my  time  in  the  company  of  the  cannibal- 
istic blacks  of  that  region,  camping  and  hunting  with 
them  ;  and  during  this  adventurous  period  I  became  so 
interested  in  these  primitive  people  that  the  study  of  sav- 
age and  barbaric  races  has  since  become  my  life's  work. 
I  first  conceived  the  idea  of  an  expedition  to  Mexico 
while  on  a  visit  to  London  in  1887.  I  had,  of  course, 
as  we  all  have,  heard  of  the  wonderful  cliff-dwellings  in 
the  Southwest  of  the  United  States,  of  entire  villages 
built  in  caverns  on  steep  mountain-sides,  accessible  in 
many  cases  only  with  the  aid  of  ladders.  Within  the 
territory  of  the  United  States  there  were,  to  be  sure,  no 
survivors  of  the  race  that  had  once  inhabited  those 
dwellings.  But  the  Spaniards,  when  first  discovering 
and  conquering  that  district,  are  said  to  have  come  upon 
dwellings  then  still  occupied.  Might  there  not,  pos- 
sibly, be  descendants  of  the  people  yet  in  existence  in 
the  northwestern  part  of  Mexico  hitherto  so  little 
explored  ? 


viii  PREFACE 

1  made  up  my  mind,  then  and  there,  that  I  would 
answer  this  question  and  that  I  would  undertake  an  ex- 
pedition into  that  part  of  the  American  continent.  But 
my  ideas  were  not  realised  until  in  1890  I  visited  the 
United  States  on  a  lecturing  tour.  On  broaching  the 
subject  of  such  an  expedition  to  some  representative 
men  and  women,  I  met  with  a  surprisingly  ready  re- 
sponse ;  and  interest  in  an  undertaking  of  that  kind 
being  once  aroused,  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  its 
way  were  soon  overcome. 

Most  of  the  money  required  was  raised  by  private 
subscription.  The  principal  part  of  the  fund  was,  liow- 
ever,  furnished  l)y  a  now  deceased  friend  of  mine,  an 
American  gentleman  whose  name,  in  deference  to  his 
wishes,  I  am  bound  to  withhold.  The  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History  of  New  York  and  the  Ameri- 
can Geographical  Society  of  New  York  contributed, 
each,  $1,000,  and  it  was  arranged  that  I  should  travel 
under  the  auspices  of  these  two  learned  institutions. 
Many  scientific  societies  received  me  most  cordially. 

The  Government  in  Washington  readily  furnished 
me  with  the  official  papers  I  required.  The  late  Mr. 
James  G.  Blaine,  then  Secretary  of  State,  did  everything 
in  his  })ower  to  pave  my  way  in  Mexico,  even  evincing 
a  very  strong  personal  interest  in  my  plans. 

In  the  summer  of  1890,  preparatory  to  my  work,  I 
visited  the  Zufii,  Navajo,  and  Moqui  Indians,  and  then 
proceeded  to  the  Citv  of  Mexico  in  order  to  get  the 
necessary  credentials  from  that  Government.  I  was  re- 
ceived with  the  utmost  courtesv  by  the  President,  Gen- 
eral Porfirio  Diaz,  who  gave  me  an  hour's  audience  at 
the  Palacio  Nacional,  and  also  by  several  members  of 
his  cabinet,  whose  appreciation  of  the  importance  and 


PREFACE  ix 

the  scientific  value  of  my  i)roposition  was  truly  gratify- 
ing. With  everything  granted  that  I  wanted  for  the 
success  of  my  e.\j)edition — free  passage  for  mv  baggage 
through  the  Custom  House,  the  privilege  of  a  military 
escort  whenever  I  deemed  one  desirable,  and  numerous 
letters  of  introduction  to  prominent  persons  in  North- 
ern Mexico  who  were  in  a  ])osition  to  further  my  plans 
—  I  hurried  back  to  the  United  States  to  organise  the 
undertaking.  My  plan  was  to  enter,  at  some  conven- 
ient point  in  the  State  of  Sonora,  Mexico,  that  great 
and  mysterious  mountain  range  called  the  Sierra  Madre, 
cross  it  to  the  famous  ruins  of  Casas  Grandes  in  the 
State  of  Chihuahua,  and  then  to  explore  the  range 
southward  as  extensively  as  my  means  would  permit. 

The  western  Sierra  Madre  may  be  considered  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  stretches  through 
the  greater  part  of  Mexico  into  Central  and  South 
America  as  a  link  of  the  Cordilleras,  which  form  a  prac- 
tically uninterrupted  chain  from  Bering  Strait  to  Cape 
Horn.  The  section  occupying  Northwestern  Mexico 
is  called  Sierra  Madre  del  Norte,  and  offers  a  wide  field 
for  scientific  exploration.  To  this  day  it  has  never  been 
surveyed. 

The  northernmost  portion  of  the  Sierra  Madre  del 
Norte  has  from  time  immemorial  been  under  the  do- 
minion of  the  wild  Apache  tribes  whose  hand  was 
against  every  man,  and  every  man  against  them.  Not 
until  General  Crook,  in  1883,  reduced  these  dangerous 
nomads  to  submission  did  it  become  possible  to  make 
scientific  investigations  there  ;  indeed,  small  bands  of 
the  "  Men  of  the  Woods  "  were  still  left,  and  my  party 
had  to  be  strong  enough  to  cope  with  any  difficulty  from 
them. 


X  PREFACE 

Inasmuch  as  my  expedition  was  the  first  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  comparative  security  prevailing  in  that 
district,  I  thought  that  I  could  best  further  the  aims  of 
Science  by  associating  with  me  a  staff  of  scientists  and 
students.  Professor  W.  Libbey,  of  Princeton,  N.  J., 
took  part  as  the  physical  geographer,  bringing  with  him 
his  laboratory  man;  Mr.  A.  M.  Stephen  was  the  archaeol- 
ogist, assisted  by  Mr.  R.  Abbott  ;  Messrs.  C.  V.  Hart- 
man  and  C.  E.  Lloyd  were  the  botanists,  Mr.  F.  Robin- 
ette  the  zoological  collector,  and  Mr.  H.  White  the 
mineralogist  of  the  expedition. 

All  the  scientific  men  were  provided  with  riding  ani- 
mals, while  the  Mexican  muleteers  generally  rode  their 
own  mounts.  Our  outfit  was  as  complete  as  it  well 
could  be,  comprising  all  the  instruments  and  tools  that 
might  be  required,  besides  tents  and  an  adequate  allot- 
ment of  provisions,  etc.  All  this  baggage  had  to  be 
transported  on  mule-back.  We  were,  all  in  all,  thirty 
men,  counting  the  scientific  corps,  the  guides,  the  cooks, 
and  the  muleteers,  and  we  had  with  us  nearly  a  hundred 
animals — mules,  donkeys,  and  horses — as  we  crossed  the 
sierra. 

It  was  a  winter  campaign,  and  from  Nacori,  in  So- 
nora,  to  Casas  Grandes,  in  Chihuahua,  we  were  to  make 
our  own  trail,  which  we  did  successfully.  Ancient  re- 
mains were  almost  as  rare  as  in  the  rest  of  the  Sierra 
Madre  del  Norte  ;  yet  traces  of  ancient  habitations 
w^ere  found  in  the  shape  of  stone  terraces,  which  had 
evidently  served  agricultural  {purposes,  and  at  some 
places  rude  fortifications  were  seen.  In  the  eastern 
part  we  came  upon  a  considerable  number  of  caves 
containing  house  groups,  the  builders  of  which,  gener- 
ally, rested  in  separate  burial-caves.     In  the  same  local- 


PREFACE  xi 

ity,  as  well  as  in  the  adjacent  j)lains  of  San  Dicjro,  Chi- 
huahua, we  found  numerous  mounds  covering  house 
groups,  similar  in  construction  l<;  those  in  the  caves. 
From  underneath  their  lloors  we  unearthed  ahout  live 
hundred  heautifully  decorated  pieces  of  pottery. 

Among  the  further  results  of  the  expedition  may  he 
mentioned  the  gathering  of  large  collections  of  plants, 
among  them  twenty-seven  species  new  to  science  ;  tifty- 
five  mammals,  among  which  the  sucriis  Apac/ic  \\2k.s  new 
to  science,  and  ahout  a  thousand  birds.  A  complete 
record  was  made  of  meteorological  observations. 

Thus  far,  although  the  question  regarding  surviving 
cliff-dwellers  was  answered  negatively,  the  field  south- 
ward in  the  sierra  was  so  promising  that  I  was  eager 
to  extend  my  explorations  in  that  direction.  The  funds 
of  the  expedition,  however,  began  to  run  hnv,  and  in 
April,  1 89 1,  I  had  to  return  to  the  United  States  to  ob- 
tain more  money  with  which  to  carry  on  a  work  that 
had  opened  so  auspiciously.  I  left  my  camp  in  San 
Diego  in  charge  of  one  of  my  assistants,  instructing  him 
to  go  on  with  the  excavations  during  my  absence.  This 
work  was  never  interrupted,  though  the  force  of  men 
was  now  considerably  reduced.  The  law  prohibiting  ex- 
cavations without  the  special  permit  of  the  Government 
of  Mexico  had  not  yet  been  promulgated. 

I  was  so  absolutely  confident  of  the  ultimate  success 
of  my  efforts,  in  spite  of  discouragements,  that  I  twice 
crossed  the  entire  continent  of  North  yVmerica,  w^ent 
down  to  the  City  of  Mexico  and  came  north  again — a 
journey  of  over  20,000  miles — seeing  prominent  jxM)i)le 
and  lecturing  to  arouse  a  public  interest.  ^  Finally,  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History  of  New  York 
decided  to  continue  the  explorations,  the  fumls  being 


xii  PREFACE 

this  time  supplied  mainl\-  through  the  munificence  of 
the  late  Mr.  Henry  Villard,  and  toward  the  end  of  that 
year   I  was  able  to  return  to   my  camp,  and   in  January, 

1892,  lead  the  expedition  further  south.  My  scientific 
assistants  were  now :  Mr.  C.  V.  Hartman,  botanist  ; 
Mr.  C.  H.  Taylor,  civil  engineer  and  photograjiher, 
and  Mr.  A.  E.  Meade,  mineralogist  and  zoological 
collector. 

This  time  we  came  upon  Cave-Dwellers.  The  Tara- 
humare  Indians  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  one  of  the  least 
known  among  the  Mexican  tribes,  live  in  caves  to  such 
an  extent  that  they  may  properly  be  termed  the  Ameri- 
can Cave-Dwellers  of  to-day.  1  determined  to  study 
these  interesting  people,  especially  the  so-called  gentiles  '' 
(pagans),  and  as  this  was  not  practical,  even  with  the 
present  reduced  size  of  the  expedition,  I  gradually  dis- 
banded the  entire  company  and  at  last  remained  alone. 

By  selling  most  of  my  animals,  and  a  large  part  of 
my  outfit,  and  through  the  untiring  efforts  of  two 
American  ladies,  whose  friendship  I  highly  esteem,  I  was 
enabled  to  continue  my  researches  alone  until  August, 

1893,  when  I  took  my  Tarahumare  and  Tepehuane  col- 
lections to  Chicago  and  exhibited  them  at  the  World's 
Fair.  Extensive  vocabularies  of  the  Tarahumare  and 
Tepehuane  languages,  as  well  as  a  vocabulary  of  the  now 
almost  extinct  Tubares,  were  among  the  results  of  this 
expedition,  besides  anthropological  measurements,  sam- 
ples of  hair  and  osseous  remains. 

The  great  j)ossibilitics  Mexico  offers  to  ethnology 
proved  an  irresistible  incentive  to  new  researches,  and 
seeing  the  results  of  my  previous  expeditions,  the  Amer- 

*  I  have  used  once  or  twice  tlie  expression   i^ciitilc  Indians,  referring  to  these 
Tarahumares. 


PREFACE  xiii 

ican  Museum  of  Natural  History  of  New  York  again 
sent  me  out  on  what  was  to  be  my  thir'l  and  most  ex- 
tensive Mexiean  expedition,  whieh  lasted  from  March, 
1S94,  to  March,  1897.  During  these  three  years  I  again 
travelled  alone,  that  is,  without  any  scientific  assistants, 
at  first  with  two  or  three  Mexicans.  Soon,  however,  I 
found  that  my  best  companions  were  the  so-called  civil- 
ised Indians,  or  even  Indians  in  their  aborip-inal  state, 
who  not  only  helped  me  by  their  mere  presence  to  win 
the  confidence  of  their  tribesmen  but  also  served  me 
as  subjects  of  observation.  As  before,  1  stopped  for 
months  with  a  tribe,  discharging  all  alien  attendants,  and 
roughing  it  with  the  Indians.  In  this  way  I  spent  in  all 
a  year  and  a  half  among  the  Tarahumares,  and  ten 
months  among  the  Coras  and  Iluichols.  At  first  the 
natives  persistently  opposed  me  ;  they  are  very  dis- 
trustful of  the  white  man,  and  no  wonder,  since  he  has 
left  them  little  yet  to  lose.  But  I  managed  to  make 
my  entry  and  gradually  to  gain  their  confidence  and 
friendship,  mainly  through  my  ability  to  sing  their  na- 
tive songs,  and  bv  alwavs  treating  them  justly. 

Thus  I  gained  a  knowledge  of  these  peoples  which 
could  have  been  procured  in  no  other  way.  When  after 
five  or  six  months  of  such  sojourns  and  travel  my  stock 
of  "  civilised  "  provisions  would  give  out,  I  subsisted  on 
what  I  could  procure  from  the  Indians.  Game  is  hard 
to  get  in  Mexico,  and  one's  larder  cannot  depend  on 
one's  gun.  As  in  Australia,  my  favourite  drink  was  hot 
water  with  honey,  which,  besides  being  refreshing,  gave 
a  relish  to  a  monotonous  diet. 

All  along  my  route  I  gathered  highly  valuable  ma- 
terial from  the  Tarahumares,  the  Northern  and  the 
Southern  Tepehuanes,  the  Coras,  the  Huichols,  and  the 


xiv  PREFACE 

Tepccanos,  all  of  which  tribes  except  the  last  named 
dwell  within  the  Sierra  Madre  del  Norte  ;  also  from  the 
Nahuas  on  the  western  slopes  of  ihe  sierra,  as  well  as 
from  those  in  the  States  of  Jalisco  and  ^Mexico  ;  and, 
finallv,  from  the  Tarascos  in  the  State  of  Michoacan. 
Of  most  of  these  tribes  little  more  thnn  their  names 
were  known,  and  I  brought  back  large  collections  illus- 
trating their  ethnical  and  anthropological  status,  besides 
extensive  information  in  regard  to  their  customs,  re- 
ligion, traditions,  and  myths,  I  also  comjileted  mv  col- 
lection of  vocabularies  and  aboriginal  melodies.  On 
my  journev  through  the  Tierra  Caliente  of  the  Terri- 
tory of  Tepic,  and  the  States  of  Jalisco  and  Michoacan, 
I  also  obtained  a  number  of  archaeological  objects  of 
great  historical  value  and  importance. 

In  1898  I  made  my  last  expedition  to  Mexico  un- 
der the  same  auspices,  staying  there  for  four  months. 
On  this  trip  I  was  accompanied  by  Dr.  Ales  Hrdlicka. 
I  revisited  the  Tarahumares  and  Iluichols  in  order  to 
supplement  the  material  in  hand  and  to  settle  doubtful 
points  that  had  come  up  in  working  out  my  notes. 
Sixty  melodies  from  these  tribes  were  recorded  on  the 
graphophone. 

Thus  from  1890  to  1898  I  spent  fully  five  years  in 
field  researches  among  the  natives  of  northwestern 
Mexico.  The  material  was  collected  with  a  view  to 
shedding  light  upon  the  relations  between  the  ancient 
culture  of  the  valley  of  Mexico  and  the  Pueblo  Ind- 
ians in  the  southwest  of  the  United  States  ;  to  give 
an  insight  into  the  ethnical  status  of  the  Mexican  Ind- 
ians now  and  at  the  time  of  the  conquest,  and  to 
illuminate  certain  phases  in  the  development  of  the 
human  race. 


PREFACE  XV 

So  far  the  results  of  my  expeditions  to  Mcxieo  hav^e 
been  made  public  in  the  following  literature  : 

Carl  Lumholtz  :  "  Explorations  in  Mexico,"  Bulletin  of  the 
American  Geographical  Society,  1891. 

Carl  I.UMHOLTZ  :  Letters  to  the  American  Geographical  Society 
of  New  York,  "  Mr.  Carl  Lumholtz  in  Mexico,"  Bulletin  of 
the  American  Geographical  Society,  Vol.  IIL,  1893. 

J.  A.  Allen  :  "  List  of  Mammals  and  Birds  Collected  in  North- 
eastern Sonora  and  Northwestern  Chihuahua,  Mexico,  on  the 
Lumholtz  Archaeological  Expedition,  1890-1892,"  Bulletin  of 
the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Vol.  V.,  Art. 
III.,  1893. 

B.  L.  Robinson  and  M.  L.  Fernald  :  "  New  Plants  Collected  by 

Mr.  C.  V.  Hartman  and  Mr,  C.  E.  Lloyd  upon  the  Archaeologi- 
cal Expedition  to  Northwestern  Mexico  under  the  Direction 
of  Dr.  Carl  Lumholtz,"  Proceedings  of  the  American  Acad- 
emy of  Arts  and  Sciences,  Vol.  XXX.,  1894. 

Carl  Lumholtz  :  "  American  Cave-Dwellers  ;  the  Tarahumares 
of  the  Sierra  Madre,"  Bulletin  of  the  American  Geographical 
Society,  Vol.  IIL,  1894. 

Carl  Lumholtz  :  "  The  Cave-Dwellers  of  the  Sierra  Madre," 
Proceedings  of  the  International  Congress  of  Anthropology, 
Chicago,  1894. 

Carl  Lumholtz  :  Four  articles  in  Scribner's  Magazine  :  "  Ex- 
plorations in  the  Sierra  Madre,"  November,  1891  ;  "Among 
the  Tarahumares,  the  American  Cave-Dwellers,"  July,  1894  ; 
"Tarahumare  Life  and  Customs,"  September,  1894;  "  Tara- 
humare  Dances  and  Plant  Worship,"  October,  1894. 

C.  V.  Hartman  :  "The  Indians    of  Northwestern  Mexico,"  Con- 

gres  International  des  Americanistes,  Dixieme  Session,  Stock- 
holm, 1894. 

Carl  Lumholtz:  "Blandt  Sierra  Madres  huleboere,"  Norge, 
Norsk  Kalender,  Kristiania,  1895. 

Carl  Lumholtz  and  Ales  Hrdlicka  :  "Trephining  in  Mex- 
ico," American  Anthropologist,  December,  1897. 

Carl  Lumholtz  :  "  The  Huichol  Indians  in  Mexico,"  Bulletin 
of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Vol.  X.,  1898. 

Tarleton  H.  Bean:  "Notes  on  Mexican  Fishes  Obtained  by 
Carl  Lumholtz,"  Bulletin  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Vol.  X.,  1898. 


xvi  PREFACE 

Carl  Llmholiz  and  Ales  Hrdlicka  :  "Marked  Human  Bones 
from  a  Prehistoric  Tarasco  Indian  Burial-place  in  the  State 
of  Michoacan,  Mexico,"  Bulletin  of  the  American  Museum 
of  Natural  History,  WA.  X.,  1898. 

Ales  Hrdlicka  :  "  Description  of  an  Ancient  Anomalous  Skeleton 
from  the  Valley  of  Mexico,  with  Special  Reference  to  Super- 
numerary Bicipital  Ribs  in  Man,"  Bulletin  of  the  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  \o\.  XH.,  1899. 

Carl  Lumholtz  :  "  Symbolism  of  the  Huichol  Indians,"  Memoir 
of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  Vol.  III.,  May, 
1900  ;  228  royal  quarto  pages  and  3  coloured  plates. 

IN  PREPARATION  : 

Carl  Lumholtz  :  "  Conventionalism  in  Designs  of  the  Huichol 
Indians,"  Memoir  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory. 

The  j)resent  volumes  give  a  succinct  account  of  my 
travels  and  work  among  the  remote  j^eoples  of  the 
Sierra  Madre  del  Norte  and  the  countries  adjacent  to 
the  south  and  east  as  far  as  the  City  of  Mexico.  Most 
of  what  1  tell  here  refers  to  a  part  of  the  Republic  that 
is  never  visited  bv  tourists  and  is  foreign  even  to  most 
Mexicans.  Primitive  })eople  are  becoming  scarce  on  the 
globe.  On  the  .American  continents  there  are  still  some 
left  in  their  original  state.  If  they  are  studied  before 
they,  too,  have  lost  their  individualitv  or  been  crushed 
under  the  heels  of  civilisation,  much  light  may  be 
thrown  not  onlv  u|)on  the  early  j)eopU'  of  this  country 
but  uj)on  the  hrst  chapters  of  the  history  of  mankind. 

In  the  present  rapid  development  of  Mexico  it  can- 
not be  ])revented  that  these  jirimitive  people  will  soon 
disappear  by  fusion  with  the  great  nation  to  whom 
they  belong.  The  vast  and  magnificent  virgin  forests 
and  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  moimtains  will  not  much 
longer    remain    the    exclusive    })roperty    of     my    dusky 


PREFACE  xvii 

friends ;  but  I  hope  that  I  shiiU  have  rendered  them  a 
service  by  settinjj^  them  tliis  modest  monument,  and 
that  civilised  man  will  be  the  better  for  knowing  of 
them. 

That  I  have  been  able  to  accomplish  what  I  did  I 
owe,  in  the  first  place,  to  the  generosity  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  United  States,  to  their  impartiality  and  free- 
dom from  prejudice,  which  enables  foreigners  to  work 
shoulder  to  shoulder  with  their  own  advance  guard.  I 
wish  to  extend  my  thanks  in  particular  to  the  Ameri- 
can Geographical  Society  of  New  York,  and  still  more 
especially  to  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory of  New  York,  with  whom  I  have  had  the  hon- 
our of  being  connected  more  or  less  closely  for  ten 
years.  To  its  public-spirited  and  whole-souled  Presi- 
dent, Mr.  Morris  K.  Jesup,  I  am  under  profound  obli- 
gations. I  also  take  pleasure  in  acknowledging  my 
indebtedness  to  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie,  who  initiated 
my  Mexican  ventures  with  a  subscription  of  $i,ooo  ; 
furthermore  to  the  Hon.  Cecil  Baring,  Mr.  Frederick 
A.  Constable,  Mr.  William  E.  Dodge,  Mr.  James 
Douglass,  Mrs.  Joseph  W.  Drexel,  Mr.  George  J.  Gould, 
Miss  Helen  Miller  Gould,  Mr.  Archer  M.  Huntington, 
Mr.  Frederick  E.  Hyde,  Mr.  D.  Willis  James,  Col. 
James  K.  Jones,  the  Duke  of  Loubat,  Mr.  Peter  Marie, 
Mr.  Henry  G.  Marquand,  Mr.  F.  O.  Matthiessen,  Mr. 
Victor  Morawetz,  Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  Mrs.  Edwin 
Parsons,  Mr.  Archibald  Rogers,  Mr.  F.  Augustus  Scher- 
merhorn,  Mr.  William  C.  Schermerhorn,  Mr.  Charles 
Stewart  Smith,  Mr.  James  Speyer,  Mr.  George  W. 
\^anderbilt,  Mr.  William  C.  Whitney,  of  New  York  ; 
to  Mr.  Frederick  L.  Ames,  Mrs.  John  L.  Gardner, 
Mrs.    E.    Mason,    Mr.    Nathaniel  Thayer,    Mr.    Samuel 


xviii  PREFACE 

D.  Warren,  Dr.  Charles  G.  Weld,  of  Boston  ;  to  Mr. 
Allison  D.  Armour  and  Mr.  Franklin  Mae\^eagh,  of 
Chicago  ;  to  Mrs.  Phoebe  Hearst,  Mr.  Frank  G.  New- 
lands,  Mrs.  Abby  M.  Parrot,  Mr.  F.  W.  Sharon,  of  San 
Francisco  ;  to  Mr.  Adolphus  Busch,  of  St.  Louis  ;  to 
Mr.  Theo.  W.  Davis,  of  Newport  ;  and  to  the  late  Mr. 

E.  L.  Godkin. 

Much  valuable  support  or  assistance  I  have  also  re- 
ceived from  Mrs.  Morris  K.  Jesup  ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Hobson,  of  Washington,  D.  C;  Miss  Joanna  Rotch,  of 
Milton,  Mass.;  Mrs.  Henry  Draper,  of  New  York  ; 
Mrs.  Robert  W.  Chapin,  of  Lenox  ;  the  late  Mr.  E.  L. 
Godkin;  Professor  Alexander  Agassiz;  Professor  F.  W. 
Putnam,  Curator  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History  in  New  York  ;  Dr.  S.  Weir  Mitchell,  of  Phila- 
delphia ;  Professor  Franz  Boas,  Curator  of  the  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History  in  New  York  ;  Dr.  B.  L. 
Robinson  and  Dr.  M.  L.  Fernald,  of  Harvard  Univer- 
sity ;  Professor  J.  A.  Allen  and  Mr.  L.  P.  Gratacap, 
Curators  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

I  am  under  obligation  to  Mr.  Marshall  H.  Saville, 
Curator  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
especially  for  the  placing  of  the  names  of  the  ruins  of 
Southern  Mexico  on  one  of  the  maps  ;  to  Miss  Alice 
Fletcher,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  and  Mr.  Edwin  S.  Tracy 
for  transcribing  from  the  graphophone  three  of  the 
songs  rendered  in  this  book,  and  to  Mrs.  George  S. 
Bixhy  for  aid  in  transcribing  the  native  music.  Finally 
I  desire  to  express  my  appreciation  of  the  untiring  ser- 
vices of  my  private  secretary,  Mrs.  H.  E.  Hepner. 

The  upper  illustration  on  page  65  is  a  reproduction 
of  a  photograph  kindly  furnished  me  by  Mr.  Frank  H. 
Chapman,  and  the  illustration  in  Vol.  ,.,  pages  145-146, 


PREFACE  xix 

is  made  from  a  photoo;raph  acquired  through  the  late 
Dr.  P.  Laml)orn.  The  illustration  in  \'ol.  II.,  pages 
464-465,  I  owe  to  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  D.  Gabriel 
Castanos,  of  Guadalajara. 

The  coloured  illustrations  are  represented  as  the  ob- 
jects appear  when  the  colours  have  been  brought  out 
by  the  application  of  water. 

The  maps  do  not  lay  claim  to  an  accuracy  which, 
under  the  circumstances,  it  was  impossible  to  obtain, 
but  they  will,  I  hope,  be  found  to  be  an  improvement 
on  the  existing  ones. 

Dr.  Ales  Hrdlicka,  who  has  just  returned  from  the 
Hyde  expedition,  informs  me  that  in  visiting  the  west- 
ern part  of  Sonora  he  found  pure  Opata  spoken  west 
of  Rio  de  Sonora  and  north  of  Ures,  e.o-,^  in  Tuape. 

Wherever  dollars  and  cents  are  given  Mexican  cur- 
rency is  meant. 

In  the  Indian  Songs  II.,  10  and  18,  I  have  made  an 
attempt  at  rendering  the  native  words  in  English  in 
such  a  form  that  the  translations  could  be  sung,  without, 
however,  deviating  from  the  original. 

In  the  native  words  "x  "  should  be  given  the  sound 
of  the  Greek  X. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    I 

Preparations  for  the  Start — Our  Dry  Goods  Relished  by  the  Cattle — I  Be- 
come a  "  Compadre  " — Beautiful  Northern  Sonora — Mexican  Muleteers 
Preferable  in  Their  Own  Country — Apache  Stories — Signs  of  Ancient  In- 
habitants— Arrival  at  Upper  Yaqui  River — Opata  Indians  now  Mexican- 
ised — A  Flourishing  Medical  Practice — Mexican  Manners — Rock-carvings 
— How  Certain  Cacti  Propagate, Pages  1-16 

CHAPTER    n 

A  Remarkable  Antique  Piece— A  New  Species  of  Century  Plant — Arrival 
at  Nacori,  at  the  Foot  of  the  Sierra  Madre — Trincheras — A  Mam- 
moth Tusk  Secured— Climbing  the  Sierra  Madre — A  New  Squirrel  Dis- 
covered— Solitude — Apache  Monuments — Arrival  at  Upper  Bavispe 
River, Pages  17-40 

CHAPTER    HI 

Camping  at  Upper  Bavispe  River — Low  Stone  Cabins,  Fortresses,  and  Other 
Remains  Indicating  Former  Habitation— The  Animals  Starve  on  the 
Winter  Grass  of  the  Sierra  and  Begin  to  Give  Out — A  Deserted  Apache 
Camp— Comfort  at  Last — The  Giant  Woodpecker — We  Arrive  at  the 
Mormon  Settlements  of  Pacheco  and  Cave  Valley,     .         .     Pages  41-59 

CHAPTER    IV 

A  Splendid  Field  Prepared  for  Us  by  the  Ancient  Agriculturists  of  Cave 
Valley — House  Groups  in  Caves  Along  a  Pretty  Stream — Well-preserved 
Mummies  Found  in  Caves — More  Trincheras — Our  Excavations  in  Caves 
and  Mounds  Contirm  to  the  Mormons  their  Sacred  Stories — We  Move  to 
the  Plains  of  San  Diego — Visit  to  Casas  Grandes  and  the  Watch-tower — 
Successful  Excavations  of  the  Mounds  near  San  Diego,     .     Pages  60-98 

CHAPTER    V 

Second  Expedition — Return  to  the  Sierra — Parrots  in  the  Snow — Cave- 
dwellings  at  Garabato,  the  most  Beautiful  in  Northern  Mexico — A  Su- 
perb View  of  the  Sierra  Madre — The  Devil's  Spine  Ridge — Guaynopa, 
the  Famous  Old  Silver  Mine — Aros  River — On  Old  Trails — Adventures 
of  "  El  Chino" — Cure  for  Poison  Ivy Pages  99-117 


xxii  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   VI 

Fossils,  and  One  Way  of  Utilising  Them  — Temosachic — The  First  Tarahu- 
niares — Ploughs  with  Wooden  Shares — Visit  to  the  Southern  Pimas — 
Aboriginal  Hat  Factories — Pinos  Altos — The  Waterfall  near  Jesus  Maria 
— An  Adventure  with  Ladrones, Pages  1 18-135 

CHAPTER    Vn 

The  Uncontaminated  Tarahumares — A  Tarahumare  Court  in  Session — The 
Power  of  the  Stafi — Justice  has  its  Course — Barrancas — Excursion  to  the 
Gentiles — Tarahumare  Costumes  Simple  and  Inexpensive — Trincheras  in 
Use  Among  the  Tarahumares, Pages  136-155 

CHAPTER   VIII 

The  Houses  of  the  Tarahumares — American  Cave-dwellings  of  To-day — 
Frequent  Changes  of  Abode  by  the  Tarahumare — The  Patio  or  Dan- 
cing Place — The  Original  Cross  of  America — Tarahumare  Store- 
houses,.        .........     Pages  156-178 

CHAPTER    IX 

Arrival  at  Batopilas — Ascent  from  Batopilas  to  the  Highlands  of  the  Sierra — 
A  Tarahumare  who  had  been  in  Chicago — An  Old-timer — Plight  of  Our 
Native  Guide  and  its  Disastrous  Consequences— Indians  Burn  the  Grass 
All  Over  the  Country — Travelling  Becomes  too  Difficult  for  the  Animals 
— Mr.  Taylor  and  I  Go  to  Zapuri — Its  Surroundings — The  Pithaya  in 
Season, Pages  179-189 

CHAPTER  X 
Nice-looking  Natives — Albinos — Ancient  Remains  in  Ohuivo — Local  Tradi- 
tions, the  Cocoyomes,  etc. — Guachochic — Don  Aliguel  and  "  The  Post- 
master " — A  Variety  of  Curious  Cures — Gauchochic  Becomes  My  Head- 
quarters—The Difficulty  of  Getting  an  Honest  Interpreter — False  Truffles 
— The  Country  Suffering  from  a  Prolonged  Drought — A  Start  in  a  North- 
westerly Direction — Arrival  at  the  Pueblo  of  Norogachic,    Pages  1 90-202 

CHAPTER   XI 

A  Priest  and  His  Family  Make  the  Wilderness  Comfortable  for  Us — Ancient 
Remains  Similar  to  those  Seen  in  Sonora — The  Climate  of  the  Sierra — • 
Flora  and  Fauna — Tarahumare  Agriculture — Ceremonies  Connected 
with  the  Planting  of  Corn — Deterioration  of  Domestic  Animals — Native 
Dogs  of  Mexico, Pages  203-217 

CHAPTER  XII 
The  Tarahumares  Still  Afraid  of  Me— Don  Andres  Madrid  to  the  Rescue- 
Mexican  Robbers  Among  the  Tarahumares— Mode  of  Burial  in  Ancient 
Caves— Visit  to  Nonoava— The  Indians  Change  their  Minds  ibout  Me, 
and  Regard  Me  as  a  Rain-god— What  the  Tarahumares  Eat  -A  Pretty 
Church  in  the  Wilderness — I  Kind  at  Last  a  Reliable  Interpreter  and 
Proceed  to  Live  k  I'lndienne, Pages  218-234 


CONTENTS  xxiii 


CHAPTER    XIII 

The  Tarahumare  Physique — Bodily  Movements — Not  as  Sensitive  to  Pain 
as  White  Men — Their  Phenomenal  Endurance — Health — Honesty — 
Dexterity  and  Ingenuity — Good  Observers  of  the  Celestial  Bodies 
and  Weather-forecasters — Hunting  and  Shooting — Home  Industries — 
Tesvino,  the  (ireat  National  Drink  of  the  Tribe — Other  Alcoholic 
Drinks, Pages  235-257 

CHAPTER   XIV 

Politeness,  and  the  Demands  of  Etiquette — The  Daily  Life  of  the  Tarahu- 
mare— The  Woman's  Position  is  High — Standard  of  Beauty — Women 
Do  the  Courting — Love's  Young  Dream — Marriage  Ceremonies,  Primi- 
tive and  Civilised — Childbirth — Childhood,      .         .         ,     Pages  258-275 

CHAPTER   XV 

Many  Kinds  of  Games  Among  the  Tarahumares^Betting  and  Gambling — 
Foot-races  the  National  Sport— The  Tarahumares  are  the  Greatest  Run- 
ners in  the  World — Divinations  for  the  Race — Mountains  of  Betting 
Stakes — W^omen's  Races,        ......     Pages  276-294 

CHAPTER   XVI 

Religion — Mother  Moon  Becomes  the  Virgin  Mary — Myths — The  Creation 
— The  Deluge— Folk-lore — The  Crow's  Story  to  the  Parrot — Brother 
Coyote — Beliefs  about  Animals,     .....     Pages  295-310 

CHAPTER    XVII 

The  Shamans  or  Wise  Men  of  the  Tribe — Healers  and  Priests  in  One— Dis- 
ease Caused  by  Looks  and  Thoughts — Everybody  and  Everything  has  to 
be  Cured — Nobody  F"eels  Well  without  His  "Doctor" — Sorcery — The 
Powers  of  Evil  are  as  Great  as  those  of  Good — Remarkable  Cure  for 
Snake-bite — Trepanning  Among  the  Ancient  Tarahumares,  Pages  31 1-329 

CHAPTER    XVIII 

Relation  of  Man  to  Nature — Dancing  as  a  Form  of  Worship  Learned  from 
the  Animals — Tarahumare  Sacrifices — The  Rutuburi  Dance  Taught  by 
the  Turkey — The  Yumari  Learned  from  the  Deer — Tarahumare  Rain 
Songs — Greeting  the  Sun — Tarahumare  Oratory — The  Flowing  Bowl — 
The  National  Importance  of  Tesvino — Homeward  Bound,  Pages  330-355 

CHAPTER   XIX 

Plant-worship— Hikuli— Internal  and  External  Effects — Hikuli  both  Man 
and  God — How  the  Tarahumares  Obtain  the  Plant,  and  where  They 
Keep  It — The  Tarahumare  Hikuli  Feast — Musical  Instruments — Hikuli 
Likes  Noise — The  Dance — Hikuli's  Departure  in  the  Morning — Other 
Kinds  of  Cacti  Worshipped — "  Doctor"  Rubio,the  Cireat  Hikuli  Expert^^:_ 
The  Age  of  Hikuli  W^orship, ^    Pages  356-379 


xxiv  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    XX 

The  Tarahumare's  P'irm  Belief  in  a  Future  Life — Causes  of  Death — The 
Dead  are  Mischievous  and  Want  Their  F'amiHes  to  Join  Them — 
Therefore  the  Dead  Have  to  be  Kept  Away  by  Fair  Means  or  Foul 
— Three  Feasts  and  a  Chase  —  Burial  Customs  —  A  Funeral  Ser- 
mon,    ..........     Pages  380-390 

CHAPTER    XXI 

Three    Weeks   on    Foot   Through    the    Barranca — Rio    Fuerte — I  Get    My 

Camera  Wet — Ancient  Cave-dwellings  Ascribed  to  the  Tubar  Indians — 

The  Effect  of  a  Compliment — Various  Devices  for  Catching  Fish — Poi- 

■   soning  the  Water — A  Blanket  Seine,       ....     Pages  391-407 

CHAPTER    XXII 

Resumption  of  the  Journey  Southward — Piitus  LiiDihoItzii — Cooking  with 
Snow — Terror-stricken  Indians — A  Gentlemanly  Highwayman  and  His 
"  Shooting-box  " — The  Pernicious  Effect  of  Civilisation  Upon  the  Tara- 
humares — A   Fine  Specimen   of  the   Tribe — The    Last  of  the  Tarahu- 

•     mares,    .......         ...     Pages  408-421 

CHAPTER    XXIII 

Cerro  de  Muinora,  the  Highest  Mountain  in  Chihuahua — The  Northern 
'  Tepehuanes — Troubles  Cropping  Out  of  the  Camera — Sinister  Designs 
on  Mexico  Attributed  to  the  Author — Maizillo — Foot-races  Among  the 
Tepehuanes,  and  Vice  Versa — Profitable  Liquor  Traffic — Medicine 
Lodges — Cucuduri,  the  Master  of  the  Woods — Myth  of  the  Plei- 
ades  Pages  422-436 

CHAPTER   XXIV 

On  to  Morelos — Wild  and  Broken  Country — The  Enormous  Flower-spike 
of  the  Amole — Subtropical  Vegetation  of  Northwestern  Mexico — De- 
structive Ants — The  Last  of  the  Tubars— A  Spectral  Ride — Back  to  the 
United  States — An  Awful  Thunder-storm — Close  Quarters — Zape — An- 
tiquities— When  an  "  Angel  "  Dies— Mementos  of  a  Reign  of  Terror — 
The  Great  Tepehuane  Revolution  of  1616— The  Fertile  Plains  of  Du- 
rango Pages  437-450 

CHAPTER    XXV 

Winter  in  the  High  Sierra — Mines — Pueblo  Nuevo  and  Its  Amiable  Padre  — 
A  Ball  in  My  Honour — Sancta  Siniplicitas—h.  Fatiguing  Journey  to  the 
Pueblo  of  Lajas  and  the  Southern  Tepehuanes — Don't  Travel  After 
Nightfall ! — Five  Days  Spent  in  Persuading  People  to  Pose  Before  the 
Camera — The  Regime  of  Old  Missionary  Times — Strangers  Carefully 
Excluded — Everybody  Contemplating  Marriage  is  Arrested — Shocking 
Punishments  for  Making  Love — Bad  Effects  of  the  Severity  of  the 
Laws,     . Pages  451-470 


CONTENTS  XXV 

CHAPTER    XXVI 

Pueblo  Viejo — Three  Lans;ua,tje.s  Spoken  I  lere — The  Aztecs — The  Musical 
IJovv — Theories  of  Its  Origin — Dancint^  Mitote — Fasting  and  Abstinence 
— Helping  President  Diaz — The  Importance  of  Tribal  Restrictions — 
Principles  of  Monogamy — Disposition  of  the  Dead,         .     Pages  471-483 

CHAPTER    XXVII 

Inexperienced  Help — How  to  Acquire  Riches  from  the  Mountains — 
Sierra  del  Nayarit — The  Coras — Their  Aversion  to  "  Papers  " — Their 
Part  in  Mexican  Politics  —  A  Dejeuner  k  la  Fourchette  —  La 
Danza, Pages  484-495 

CHAPTER    XXVIII 

A  Glimpse  of  the  Pacific  from  the  High  Sierra — A  Visionary  Idyl — The 
Coras  Do  Not  Know  Fear — An  Un-Indian  Indian — Pueblo  of  Jesus 
Maria — A  Nice  Old  Cora  Shaman — A  Padre  Denounces  Me  as  a 
Protestant  Missionary — Trouble  Ensuing  from  His  Mistake — Scor- 
pions,    ..........     Pages  496-507 

CHAPTER    XXIX 

A  Cordial  Reception  at  San  Francisco — Mexicans  in  the  Employ  of  Indians 
— The  Morning  Star,  the  Great  God  of  the  Coras — The  Beginning  of  the 
World — How  the  Rain-clouds  were  First  Secured— The  Rabbit  and  the 
Deer — Aphorisms  of  a  Cora  Shaman — An  Eventful  Night — Hunting 
for  Skulls — My  Progress  Impeded  by  Padre's  Ban — Final  Start  for  the 
Huichol  Country — A  Threatened  Desertion,  .        .         .     Pages  508-530 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

Portrait  of  the  Author Froiiispiece 

PAGE 

A  Dasylirion, i 

Cottonwood,  ............  4 

Cereus  Greggii,  a  small  cactus  with  enormous  root,       ....  5 

Fronteras 7 

Remarkable  Ant-hill, 8 

Church  Bells  at  Opoto,          .........  10 

Also  a  Visitor, 11 

A  Mexican  from  Opoto, 12 

Rock-carvings  near  Granados,      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         •  1 5 

The  Church  in  Bacadehuachi, 17 

Aztec  Vase,  Found  in  the  Church  of  Bacadehuachi 18 

Agave  Hart7nani,  a  new  species  of  century  plant,         .         .         .         •  19 
Ancient  Pecking  on  a  Trachyte  Boulder  one  foot  square,       .         .         .20 

In  the  Hills  of  Northeastern  Sonora,     .......  24 

Adios,  Senor!       ...........  27 

View  toward  the  Northwest  from  Sierra  de  Huehuerachi,      .         .         .29 

Our  Principal  Guide  Leaving  Us, ........  32 

A  Mule  with  its  Pack  of  Crates, 33 

The  Photographic  Mule,        .........  34 

On  the  Crest  of  the  Sierra,    .........  37 

Apache  Monument, 39 

Camp  in  the  High  Sierra,      .........  47 

Bringing  in  Deer,         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         ,         .         •  51 

The  Largest  Woodpecker  in  the  World,        ......  54 

Distant  View  of  Cupola-shaped  Granary  in  Cave '58 

Single  Wall  in  Cliff 61 

Ground  Plan  of  House  Groups  in  Granary  Cave,  .....  62 

Cupola-shaped  Granary  in  Cave,  ........  64 

Granary  in  Tlaxcala,     ..........  65 

Bases  of  Granaries  in  Cave,  .         .         .         .         .         .         ,         -65 

Ground  Plan  of  House  Groups  in  Cave  on  East  Side  of  the  River,        .  66 

xxvii 


XXV  111 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


Burial 


Cave  in  Cave  \"allev 


Sandal  Plaited  from  Yucca  Leaves, 

Heel  of  a  Sandal,  Showing  Plaiting, 

Piece  of  Wood  Showing  Drill  Mark, 

Pendant  of  Wood,        .... 

Implement  for  Throwing,     . 

Burial  Caves  in  Cave  \'alley, 

A  Mummified  Body,     .... 

Rock  Paintings  in  White  on  the  Inside  of  a 

A  Trinchera  in  Cave  Valley, 

Ancient  Cave-dwellings  in  Strawberry  Valley, 

Interior  View  of  Cave-dwellings  Shown  on  Page  75, 

Exterior  View  of  Cave-dwellings  in  Strawberry  Valley, 

Objects  Found  in  Mounds  at  Upper  Piedras  Verdes  River,  . 

Painting  on  Rock  on  Piedras  Verdes  River 

Figures  on  Walls  of  a  Cave-house  on  Piedras  Verdes  River, 
Figure  on  Rock  on  Piedras  \'erdes  River,     .... 

Hunting  Antelope  in  Disguise,      ...... 

Casas  Grandes,     ......... 

Ceremonial  Hatchet  with  Mountain  Sheep's  Head.  I-'rom  Casas  Grandes 

Broken,  .......... 

Earthenware  Vessel  in  Shape  of  a  Woman.     From  Casas  Grandes, 
Cerro  de  Montezuma  and  the  Watch  Tower  Seen  from  the  South, 
Double  Earthenware  Vessel,  from  San  Diego,  with  Hollow  Connection 

at  Base,         ..... 
Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  I.,  a, 
The  Horned  Toad  Jar,  Seen  from  Above  and  Below. 
Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  I.,  c/. 
Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  III.,  <',.  . 
Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  V.,  <•, 
Black  Ware,  Highly  Polished, 
Extension  of  Design  on  Plate  IV.,  u,     . 
Extension  of  Design  on  Plate  I\\,  />, 
Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  IV.,  c,   . 
Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  IV.,/,    . 
Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  \'.,  c,     , 
Ancient  Cave-dwelling  at  Garabato, 
Part  of  Cave-dwellings  at  Garabato, 
Design  in  Red  on  Second-story  Wall,   . 


Plate 


I.,^, 


PAGE 
67 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


XXIX 


ma  House 


Piece  of  Matting  from  Garabato  Cave,  . 

Ancient  Cave-houses  and  Granaries  near  Aros  River, 

Tarahumare,         ....... 

Tarahumare  Plough  with  Wooden  Share, 
Tarahumare  Ploughshare  Made  of  Oak, 
Tarahumare  Ploughshare  of  Stone, 
Young  Southern  Pima,  ..... 

Middle-aged  Southern  Pima,         .... 

Southern  Pimas  Living  in  a  Brushwood  Inclosure, 
Pine  Cone  Serving  as  a  Comb,      .... 

Southern  Pima  Arrow  Release,     .... 

Small  Crosses  Placed  in  a  Log  in  Front  of  Southern  Pi 

The  Waterfall  of  Basasiachic 

Tarahumare  Ploughman.       ..... 

Ancient  Stone  Hammer  Seen  in  the  Presidente's  Yard, 
Tarahumare  Indians  from  Pino  Gordo, 
Tarahumare  Court  in  Session  at  Cusarare,     . 
Barranca  de  L^rique,     ...... 

Our  Tarahumare  Carriers  and  the  Gobernador, 
Tarahumare  Men,         ...... 

Tarahumare  Woman,  ...... 

Necklace  of  Seeds  of  Coix  Lac/ityiiia-Jodi,  . 
Tarahumare  Ear-ornament;    one   seed    Co/.v   LacJiry)>ia-JolH   at   top 
.  Natural  size, ....... 

Tarahumare  Ranch  near  Barranca  de  Cobre,  showing 

supported  by  stone  walls,       .... 

Tarahumare  House  near  Barranca  de  Cobre, 
Tarahumare  House  in  the  Hot  Country, 
Cappe  of  Sandstone  Pillar,  showing  effect  of  erosion 
Tarahumare  P^amily  Camping  under  a  Tree, . 
Inhabited  Cave,  the  Home  of  a  Tarahumare  Belle, 
The  Belle  of  the  Cave,  ...... 

Side  View  of  Cave  on  Page  165,  Showing  Store-houses  and  Inclosure, 
Inhabited  Cave,  Showing  .Store-houses,  Inclosure,  and  Extended  Floor 
Cave  with  Wooden  Ladder  Leading  to  a  Store-room, 
Crosses  Made  from  the  Natural  Growth  of  Pine-trees  in  Front  of  Tara 

humare  House,      ...... 

Crosses  in  Front  of  Tarahumare  House, 


ploughed 


fields 


PAGE 
07 
I  I 

19 

21 


124 

^5 

28 
28 
29 
133 
134 
137 
140 

'45 

[48 
[49 
150 

'51 
51 

:52 

:57 
.58 

59 
161 
[62 
'63 

164 
.65 
.69 

172 
173 


XXX 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


IC. 


Cross,  ........ 

Tarahumare  Store-house  of  Stones  and  Mud, 
Caves  Used  as  Store-houses, 
Tarahumare  Store-houses  Made  of  Logs, 
Cactus  Flowers,   ..... 

Making  Larvas  Ready  for  the  Pot, 
Gathering  Pithaya,        .... 

In  the  Highlands  of  the  Sierra, 

Tarahumare  Interpreters, 

Indian  Trail  Cut  in  a  Ridge  of  Tuff, 

Pecking  on  Rock  in  the  Neighbourhood  of  Norogachic 

Tarahumare  Girl  from  the  Neighbourhood  of  Norogach 

Pecking  on  Rock  in  the  Neighbourhood  of  Norogachic 

Winter  Morning  in  the  Sierra,       .... 

Dogs  of  Chihuahua 

Tarahumare  Girdles,     ...... 

Aspect  of  the  Tarahumare  Country  in  Humarisa,  . 
Taking  My  Baggage  Down  an  Indian  Trail  in  the  Barranca  de  San 
Carlos,  .....  ... 

Tarahumare  Woman,  ...... 

Tarahumare  Man,  ...... 

Usual  Crouching  Position  of  the  Tarahumare, 
Tarahumare  Man,        ...... 

Tarahumares  Sunning  Themselves, 

Tarahumare  Girl.     The  Hair  Worn  in  Mexican  Fashio 

Weaving  a  Girdle,         ...... 

Patterns  of  Tarahumare  Belts,       .... 

Woman  Pottery  Maker  and  Some  Results  of  Her  Labo 

Tarahumare  Pottery  from  Panalachic, 

Basket  for  Straining  Tesvino, 

Tarahumare  IJianket,     . 

A  Tarahumare  Call, 

Tarahumare  Arrow  Release, 

Tarahumare  Baskets,    . 

Tarahumare  Girl  Carrying  Water 

Tarahumare,  Showing  Mode  of  \\ 

Tarahumare  Blankets,  . 

Stone  Disk  for  Playing, 


earing  Blanket, 


PAGE 

176 
178 
179 
182 
188 

20I 
202 
203 

205 
207 
209 
216 
219 
227 

236 

237 
238 

240 
242 
249 
249 
250 
252 
254 
259 
260 
262 
263 
265 
268 
274 
277 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS  xxxi 

PAGF. 

Sticks  Used  by  Tepehuanes  for  Playing,     ......   278 

Value  of  the  Different  Sides  of  a  Knuckle-bone,     .....  278 

Tarahumares  Playing  Quinze,        ....  ....   279 

Cross  Marking  the  Track  of  the  Foot-runners,       .....  283 

Tarahumares  Racing  by  Torch-light,     .......  285 

Making  Wagers  at  a  Foot-race 288 

Part  of  Tarahuniare  Rattling  Belt,         .......  290 

Tarahumare  Foot-runners,  Photographed  after  the  Race,       .         .         .   291 
Tarahuniare  Women  Crossing  a  Stream  in  Their  Race,  .         .         .   293 

Fork  and  Wooden  Ball  Used  in  Women's  Game,  ....   294 

Stick  and  Ring  Used  in  W^omen's  Game,    ......   294 

The  Coyote,  Cam's  Latrans,  ........   303 

Tarahumare  Shaman's  Rattles,      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         •313 

Rubio,  the  Shaman,       ..........  316 

Rubio,  the  Shaman,  and  His  Wife  at  Home  in  Their  Cave,    .         .         .  319 
Shaman  Rubio's  Cave,  Seen  from  the  Outside,       .....  320 

Rubio,  the  Shaman,  Examining  a  Man  Accused  of  Sorcery,  .         .         .   324 
Trepanned  Tarahumare  Skull,  Female,  ......  328 

The  Beginning  of  the  Rutuburi  and  the  Yumari  Dance,         .         .         .   335 

Dancing  Yumari, 341 

Sacrificing  Tesvino  after  a  Yumari  Dance,     ......   345 

Ready   to  Begin    Eating   and    Drinking   after   a   Night's    Dancing    of 

Rutuburi,       ...........   349 

Echinocactus,        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -357 

Hikuli  or  Peyote,  the  principal  sacred  cacti .   358 

Dry  Hikuli 359 

Shaman's  Notched  Stick 366 

Ancient  Notched  Sticks,        .........  366 

Tarahumare  Women  Dancing  Hikuli  at  Guajochic  Station,    .         .         .   369 
MaDiinilaria  fissurata,         .........   373 

Shaman   Rubio  and  His  Company  at  a  Hikuli  Feast.     Photographed 

after  a  Night's  Singing  and  Dancing,      ......   376 

Tarahumare  Medicine  Figure,  Mexico,  .......   378 

Ancient  Ritualistic  Petrograph,  Arizona,         ......  378 

Mourning,     ............   380 

View  from  the  North  across  Barranca  de  San  Carlos,  near  Guachochic,  .   392 
Barranca  de  San  Carlos,  in  its  Upper  Part,     ......   395 

One  of  My  Companions  in  Barranca  de  San  Carlos,        .        .         ,         .  397 


XXXll 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Widow  Grinding  Corn  in  Her  Camp, 

Bow  and  Throwing-stick  for  the  Fish-spear, 

The  Amole,  a  Species  of  Agave,    ..... 

Tarahumares  on  the  Rio  Fuerte  Fishing  with  Their  Blankets 

Pintis  Luniholtzii,  ....... 

CiviHsed  Tarahumare  Boy,     ...... 

Juan  Ignacio  and  His  Son,  Pagan  Tarahumares,    . 

A  Tepehuane  Family,  ....... 

Old  Log-houses  near  Nabogame,  ..... 

Tepehuanes  from  Nabogame,         ..... 

Tepehuane  Medicine  Lodge  near  Mesa  de  Milpillas, 

A  Well-known  Tepehuane  Shaman,       .... 

Salvia  elcgatis,  var.  soiiorensis,     ..... 

The  Flower-spike  of  the  Amole,    ..... 

Cerens  caspitosus,  ....... 

Tubar  Man,  ......... 

Tubar  Women,      ........ 

Beads  of  Burnt  Clay,  from  Tubar  Tombs, 

Tepehuane  Sling  made  from  Maguey  Fibre,  , 

Tepehuane  l^ouch  made  from  Maguey  Fibre, 

Tepehuane  Store-house,  near  Lajas,       .... 

The  Musical  Bow  of  the  Tepehuanes  of  the  South,  and  of 

Rattle  for  Ankle,  made  from  Empty  Pods  of  a  Palm, 

Cora  Men  and  W^omen  from  Santa  Teresa,    . 

Cora  Pouch,  of  LInusual  Shape,  made  of  Wool.  Patterns  represent 
Flying  Birds  and  a  row  of  Deer,      .... 

Cora  Indians  from  Mesa  del  Nayarit,     .... 

The  Sacred  Dancing-place  of  the  Coras,  called  Towta,  the  supposed 
residence  of  the  great  Taquat  of  the  East  of  the  same  name.  Pho- 
tographed after  the  Dancing  was  over,  ...... 

God's  Eye,  made  by  the  Cora  Tribe  as  a  Prayer  for  My  Health  and  Life, 


the  Azte';s 


399 
401 
402 
405 
409 

417 
419 

423 
424 
427 

432 
434 
43« 
439 
440 
442 
443 
444 
458 

459' 
461 

475 
477 
489 

492 


521 


COLOURED   PLATES 

Plates  L,  II.,  IIL.  IV.    Pottery  from  San  Diego        .  at  end  of  volume 

Plate    V.    Pottery  from  San  Diego  and  Casas  Grandes  at  end  of  voliiine 

Plate  VL    A  Tarahumare  Beauty      ....  facing  page  266 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


CHAPTER    I 

PREPARATIONS    FOR  THE  START — OUR    DRY  GOODS   RELISHED  liV   THE 

CATTLE 1     BECOME      A   "  COMPADRE  " BEAUTIFUL     NORTHERN 

SONORA MEXICAN      MULETEERS     PREFERABLE      IN     THEIR     OWN 

COUNTRY APACHE  STORIES — SIGNS    OF    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS 

ARRIVAL     AT      UPPER      YAQUI     RIVER — OPATA      INDIANS     NOW 

MEXICANISED A    FLOURISHING    MEDICAL     PRACTICE MEXICAN 

MANNERS — ROCK-CARVINGS HOW    CERTAIN  CACTI   PROPAGATE. 


HEAVY  floods  in  the  southern  part  of  Arizona  and 
New  Mexico,  with  consequent  wash-outs  along 
the  raihoads,  interfered  with  my  plans  and    somewhat 

delayed  my  arriv^al  at  Bis- 
bee,  Arizona,  a  small  but 
important  mining  place 
from  which  I  had  decided 
to  start  my  expedition.  It 
is  only  some  twenty  odd 
miles  from  the  Mexican 
border,  and  the  Copper 
Queen  Company  main- 
tains there  well-supplied 
stores,  where  the  neces- 
sary outfit,  provisions,  etc., 
could  be  procured.  The 
preparations  for  the  start  consumed  more  than  two 
weeks.  Animals  had  to  be  bought,  men  selected  and 
hired,  provisions  purchased  and  jiacked.      In  the  mean- 

VOL.   I.  —  I  I 


A  Dasvlirion. 


2  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

time  I  was  joined  by  the  various  scientific  assistants 
appointed  to  take  part  in  the  expedition. 

The  horses  and  mules  were  bought  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. In  purchasing  animals  much  caution  is  required 
in  that  part  of  the  country,  as  even  men  who  pose  as 
gentlemen  will  try  to  take  advantage  of  the  situation. 
One  such  individual  not  only  raised  his  prices,  but  deliv- 
ered unbroken  animals.  Much  loss  of  time  and  endless 
annoyance  were  caused,  first  in  the  camp  and  later  on  the 
road,  by  unruly  mules,  that  persistently  threw  off  their 
packs  and  had  to  be  subdued  and  reloaded. 

Gradually,  I  had  succeeded  in  finding  the  neces- 
sary men.  This  was  another  hard  task  to  accomplish. 
There  are  always  plenty  of  fellows,  ready  for  adven- 
tures, greedy  to  earn  money,  and  eager  to  join  such 
an  expedition.  But  to  select  the  right  ones  among 
the  cow-boys  and  miners  of  the  border  lands  is  most 
difficult. 

By  what  appears,  furthermore,  to  be  the  compen- 
sating justice  of  Nature,  the  treasures  of  the  earth  are 
always  hidden  in  the  most  unattractive,  dismal,  and 
dreary  spots.  At  least  all  the  mining  places  I  ever  vis- 
ited are  so  located,  and  Bisbee  is  no  exception.  To  get 
away  from  the  cramped  little  village  and  its  unsavoury 
restaurant,  I  established  my  first  camp  four  miles  south 
of  it  on  a  commodious  and  pleasant  opening,  where  we 
could  do  our  own  cooking.  But  here  a  new  annoyance, 
and  rather  a  curious  one,  was  met  with.  The  cattle  of 
the  region  evinced  a  peculiar  predilection  for  our  wear- 
ing'apparel.  Especially  at  night,  the  cows  would  come 
wandering  in  among  our  tents,  like  the  party  who  goes 
about  seeking  what  he  may  devour,  and  on  getting  hold 
of  some  such  choice  morsel  as  a  sock,  shirt,  or  blanket, 
Mrs.  Bossie  would  chew  and  chew,  "  gradually,"  to  quote 
Mark  Twain,  "  taking  it  in,  all  the  while  opening  and 


THE    START  3 

closing  her  eyes  in  a  kind  of  religious  ecstasy,  as  if  she 
had  never  tasted  anything  quite  as  good  as  an  overcoat 
before  in  her  life."  It  is  no  use  arguing  about  tastes, 
not  even  with  a  cow.  In  spite  of  this  drawback,  it  was 
pleasant  to  be  out  in  the  country,  which  was  growing 
delightfully  green  after  the  rains,  and  gave  us  a  foretaste 
of  what  we  might  expect. 

The  last  thing  to  do,  after  all  other  preparations  had 
been  completed,  was  to  get  into  the  camp  three  small 
bags  containing  seven  hundred  and  fifty  Mexican  dol- 
lars, since  among  the  Mexican  country  population  paper 
money  is  hardly  of  any  use.  There  was  some  talk  about 
a  raid  on  the  camp  by  some  toughs  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, but  we  made  our  start  unmolested,  on  Septem- 
ber 9,  1890. 

Thanks  to  my  letters  from  the  Mexican  Government, 
I  had  no  trouble  at  the  custom-house  in  San  Pedro.  I 
stopped  a  few  days  there,  nevertheless,  to  buy  some 
Mexican  pack-saddles,  called  aparejos,  which,  roughly 
speaking,  are  leather  bags  stuffed  with  straw,  to  be  fast- 
ened over  the  mules'  backs.  Through  the  courtesy  of 
the  Mexican  custom  officials  I  also  secured  two  excel- 
lent and  reliable  Mexican  packers,  to  take  the  place  of 
some  Americans  who  had  been  fighting  in  the  camp 
and  proved  themselves  unfit  for  my  }jurpose. 

As  a  mark  of  regard,  one  of  the  custom  officers  in- 
vited me  to  act  as  godfather  to  his  child.  I  had  to  sup- 
port the  baby's  head  during  the  ceremony,  while  an 
elderly  woman  held  the  little  body.  According  to  cus- 
tom, I  gave  twenty-five  cents  to  every  member  of  the 
party,  and  to  the  child  a  more  ade(iuate  present.  From 
now  on  I  was  called  compadre  by  most  of  the  people 
in  the  village,  and  that  sacred  relationship  was  estab- 
lished between  myself  and  the  baby's  family,  which  is 
deemed  of  so  much  imj)ortance  in   the  life  of  the  Mexi- 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


"--^^MMJn^ 


■^;# 


cans.  During  ten  years  of  travel  and  ethnological  activ- 
ity I  have  never  met  the  child  again,  but  I  hope  that  he 
is  getting  on  well. 

How  beautifully  fresh  the  country  looked  as  we  trav- 
elled southward  in  Northern  Sonora  !  The  dreary  plains 
of  Arizona  gave  way  to  a  more  varied  landscape,  with 
picturesque  hills  studded  with  oaks  and  mountain  cedars. 

Along  the  rivers  cotton  wood 
was  especially  noticeable. 
There  was  also  an  abundance 
of  wild-grape  vines.  Every- 
where near  the  shady  creeks 
I  saw  the  evening  primrose, 
brilliantly  yellow,  while  the 
intense,  carmine-red  flowers 
of  the  lobelia  peeped  out 
from  under  the  shrubs.  But 
of  all  the  flowers  on  the 
banks  of  the  streams,  the 
most  remarkable  was  the 
exquisitely  beautiful  Datura 
fneteloides,  with  its  gorgeous  white  crown,  six  inches 
long  and  four  inches  wide.  We  saw  one  cluster  of  this 
creeper  fully  fifty  feet  in  circumference.  It  is  well 
known  among  the  Navajo  Indians  that  the  root  of  this 
plant,  when  eaten,  acts  as  a  powerful  stimulant  ;  but  the 
better  class  among  the  tribe  look  upon  it  with  disfavour, 
as  its  use  often  leads  to  madness  and  death.  The  eff"ect 
of  the  poison  is  cumulative,  and  the  Indians  under  its 
influence,  like  the  Malays,  run  amuck  and  trv  to  kill 
everybody  they  meet. 

There  is  also  found  a  species  of  cactus,  with  a 
root  which  looks  like  an  enormous  carrot.  One  small 
plant  had  a  root  four  feet  long.      It  is  used  as  soap. 

Amono^  the  birds,  doves  and  flycatchers  were  most 


Cottonwood. 


THE    FRONTIER    POPULATION 


commonly  seen,    one   species  of  the    latter    frequently 
dazzling  our  eyes  with  its  brilliant  vermilion  plumage. 

The  men  1  had  hired  before 
crossing  the  border  did  not  work 
at  all  well  with  the  Mexicans.  They 
generally  considered  themselves 
vastly  superior  to  the  latter,  whom 
they  did  not  recognise  as  "white 
men."  Personally,  I  preferred  tiic 
Mexicans,  who  were  obedient,  oblig- 
ing, and  less  lawless  than  the  rough, 
mixed-white  citizens  of  the  Ameri- 
can Southwest.  As  an  illustration 
of  the  moral  status  of  the  frontier 
population,  I  may  relate  that  when 
about  sixty  miles  south  of  the  bor- 
der, a  custom-house  official  stationed 
in  the  neighbourhood  insisted  upon 
examining  all  my  baggage,  which, 
of  course,  would  have  involved  a  lot 
of  trouble.  He  was  neither  worse 
nor  better  than  other  custom  offi- 
cers, who  seem  to  exist  only  to  an- 
noy people,  and  by  the  exertion  of  a  little  patience  I 
succeeded  in  settling  the  matter  satisfactorily.  But  one 
of  my  foremen,  who  had  noticed  my  annoyance,  came 
up  to  me  and  asked  if  I  desired  "  to  get  rid  "  of  him  ; 
if  I  did,  said  he,  he  knew  how  he  could  serve  me  so  that 
nothing  more  would  be  heard  from  the  Mexican  ! 

I  gradually  weeded  out  this  unscrupulous  element 
among  the  men,  and  replaced  most  of  the  American 
with  Mexican  muleteers,  who  are  far  superior  in  that 
particular  line  of  business.  In  hiring  them,  only  one 
precaution  had  always  to  be  observed  :  never  to  accept 
one  unless   he  had  a  good  recommendation    from    his 


/ 


Ccreus  Greggii.     A  small 
cactus  with  enormous  root. 


6  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

village  authorities  or  some  prominent  man  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. 

The  first  village  of  any  importance  we  passed  was 
Fronteras.  It  is  built  on  the  summit  and  slopes  of  an 
elevated  plateau  and  looks  extremely  picturesque  at  a 
distance.  Seen  close,  however,  it  turns  out  to  be  a 
wretched  little  cluster  of  adobe,  or  sun-dried  brick, 
houses.  Not  only  the  town  itself,  but  also  all  the 
ranches  in  the  neighbourhood  are  erected  on  elevations, 
a  precaution  from  former  days  against  the  bloodthirsty 
Apaches. 

Not  so  very  long  ago  Fronteras  was  quite  an  im- 
portant place,  numbering,  it  is  said,  some  2,000  inhabi- 
tants. But  the  Apaches,  by  their  incessant  attacks, 
made  tiie  life  of  the  villagers  so  miserable  that  the  place 
became  depopulated.  Once  it  was  even  entirely  aban- 
doned. Many  stories  of  the  constant  fights  wnth  these 
savages  are  related  by  the  survivors  of  those  struggles. 
Never  was  it  safe  in  those  days  to  venture  outside  of  the 
town  limits.  Vet  the  conflicts  did  not  always  end  in 
one  way,  and  the  Mexicans  sometimes  got  the  better  of 
the  raiders,  although  it  may  be  doubted  whether  the 
methods  by  which  these  results  were  brought  about 
would  come  under  the  rules  of  modern  warfare. 

One  bright  moonlight  night  an  old  man,  who  had 
himself  taken  jxirt  in  many  an  Apache  fight,  led  me  to 
a  deep  gorge  where  seven  Apaches  once  met  their 
doom.     The  story  he  told  was  as  follows  : 

A  large  band  of  warriors  came  threateningly  into  the 
town.  They  had  killed  two  hawks  and,  decorated  with 
their  feathers,  were  on  the  warpath.  As  they  were  in 
such  numbers  the  Mexicans  realised  that  it  would  be 
useless  to  attempt  resistance,  and  therefore  sued  for 
peace,  which  was  granted.  A  peace-banquet  followed, 
during  which  mescal,  the  Mexican  brandy,  flowed  freely, 


APACHE    STORIES  7 

distributed  without  stint  to  the  warriors  by  their  wily 
hosts,  who  were  abiding  their  time.  When  the  Apaches 
were  intoxicated  the  villagers  fell  upon  them  and  cap- 
tured seven  men  ;  most  of  the  band,  however,  managed 
to  escape.      Next  da\-  the  j)risoners  were  taken  to  the 


Fronteras. 

ravine  and  speared,  charges  of  powder  being  deemed  too 
good  for  them.  Only  el  capitan,  pointing  to  his  head, 
requested,  as  a  special  favour,  to  be  shot,  which  was 
done.  Their  bodies  were  buried  in  the  ravine  where 
they  fell,  but  too  long  a  time  had  already  elapsed  since 
the  event  to  enable  me  to  secure  for  my  collections  the 
specimens  for  which  1  had  been  on  the  lookout.  Yet  I 
was  told  by  the  inhabitants  that  the  ground  about  the 
town  was  so  full  of  Apache  remains  that  I  should  have 


8 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


no  difficulty  in  gaining  mv  object  in  places  close  by.  A 
number  of  Apaches,  men  and  women,  I  was  informed, 
had  once  been  dumped  into  a  well.  I  set  to  work  at 
the  place  indicated,  and  our  efforts  were  rewarded  by  the 
exhumation  of  eight  skulls  in  perfect  condition,  besides 
many  typical  bones.  The  last  raid  of  the  Apaches  on 
Fronteras  was  in  1875. 

Passing   Cochuta  about   a   hundred    miles   south   of 
Bisbee,   we   came    upon    a    deposit    of  fossils.     It   was 

scarcely  more  than 
a  mile  in  extent, 
but  many  bones 
were  said  to  have 
been  taken  away 
from  it  as  curiosi- 
ties. I  had  already 
observed  isolated 
fossil  bones  along 
the  creeks  on  sev- 
eral occasions  dur- 
ing our  travels, 
but  we  could  find 
nothing  here  of 
value. 

Signs  that  the 
country  was  in  former  times  occupied  by  another  race 
than  its  present  inhabitants  are  seen  everywhere  through- 
out the  region  we  traversed  following  the  road  to  the 
south.  Here  they  appear  fre(}uenllv  as  remarkable 
groupings  of  stones  firmly  embedded  in  the  ground. 
Only  the  tops  of  the  stones  (the  total  length  of  which 
is  about  one  foot)  are  seen  al)o\^c  the  surface,  much  as 
stones  are  used  in  parks  and  gardens  for  ornamental 
purposes.  They  are  arranged  in  circles  or  in  rectangles. 
I  saw  two  circles  close  to  each  other,  each   six  feet  in 


Remarkable  Ant-hill. 


THE   YAOUI    RIVER  9 

diameter.  One  rectangle  measured  fifty  feet  in  length 
by  half  that  in  width.  Low  walls  divided  it  into  three 
indistinct  partitions.  There  was  never  any  wall  built 
underneath  these  surface  stones,  nor  were  there  any 
traces  of  charring.  Among  the  ruins  found  on  top  of 
the  hills  we  collected  a  lot  of  broken  pottery  and  some 
flint  arrowheads.  In  several  places  in  this  district  we 
found  gold  and  coal,  but  not  in  paying  quantities. 

Some  forty  miles  south  of  Cochuta  we  turned  in  a 
southerly  direction,  ascending  a  hilly  plateau  3,200  feet 
above  sea-level.  Here  we  observed  the  first  orchids, 
yellow  in  colour  and  deliciously  fragrant,  and  in  the 
canon  below  we  met  the  first  palms.  The  rocks  con- 
tinued to  show  volcanic  and  metamorphic  formation. 

About  130  miles  south  of  Bisbee  we  caught  the  first 
glimpse  of  the  Sierra  Madre  rising  above  the  foot-hills 
some  forty  miles  off  to  the  east.  Its  lofty  mountain 
peaks  basking  in  the  clear  blue  ether,  beckoned  to  us  in- 
spiringly  and  raised  our  expectations  of  success.  This, 
then,  was  the  region  we  were  to  explore  !  Little  did  I 
think  then  that  it  would  shelter  me  for  several  years.  It 
looked  so  near  and  was  yet  so  far,  and  as  we  travelled 
on  southward  the  sio-ht  of  it  was  soon  lost  ao-ain. 

We  gradually  descended  to  the  Bavispe  River,  a 
name  here  given  to  the  Yaqui  River,  in  accordance  with 
the  custom  which  the  Mexicans  have  in  common  with 
people  in  other  parts  of  the  world  of  giving  different 
names  to  one  river  in  its  course  through  different  dis- 
tricts. It  was  a  treat  to  catch  the  first  sight  of  the  mag- 
nificent sheet  of  water  the  river  forms  near  the  town  of 
Opoto,  as  it  slowly  wends  its  way  through  green  shrubs. 
It  is  the  largest  river  of  the  west  coast  of  Mexico  and 
is  here  about  1,400  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

Following  the  river  to  the  south,  we  soon  passed 
the  towns  of  Guasavas  and  Granados.     The  veeetation 


10 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


along  the  river  banks  is  in  strong  contrast  to  the  land 
in  general.  Here  are  fields  of  sugar-cane,  and  in  the 
orchards,  orange,  fig,  and  lime  trees  grow  in  abundance. 
The  country,  though  fertile,  is  dry,  and  the  heat  is  great. 
Even  at  the  end  of  October  the  thermometer  sometimes 
registered  ioo°  F.  in  the  shade.     The  grass  had  become 


Church  Bells  at  Opoto. 


dry  and  scarce,  and  it  was  difficult  to  keep  the  animals 
in  satisfactory  condition. 

This  territory  was  once  in  the  possession  of  the 
large  tribe  of  Opata  Indians,  who  are  now  civilised. 
They  have  lost  their  language,  religion,  and  traditions, 
dress  like  the  Mexicans,  and  in  appearance  are  in  no 
way  distinguishable  from  the  labouring  class  of  Mexico 
with  which  they  are  thoroughly  merged  through  fre- 
quent intermarriages. 


A    FLOURISHING    MEDICAL    PRACTICE     ii 

As  we  j)assc(i  the  hamlets,  our  larjrc  party  and 
outfit  created  quite  a  sensation  and  aroused  the  people 
from  the  uneventful  routine  of  their  daily  existence. 
They  used  to  surround  my  tent,  espcciall}'  mornings  and 
evenings,  as  if  an  auction  had  been  going  on  inside. 
Some  of  them  wanted  to  sell  things  that  would  come  in 
handv,  such  as  fowls  or  panoche  (brown  sugar).  One 
woman  offered  me  three  chickens  for  one  dollar.  I  told 
her  she  charged  too  high  a  price,  as  chickens  were  not 


Also  a  Visitor. 

worth  more  than  twentv-five  cents  apiece ;  but  she 
insisted  that  she  w^anted  a  dollar,  because  she  had  prom- 
ised that  amount  to  the  padre  for  reading  a  mass  for  a 
man  who  had  died  in  the  time  of  Hidalgo  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  century. 

But  most  of  the  crowd  flocked  to  my  tent  to  con- 
sult me  about  their  ailments.  It  was  useless  to  tell 
them  that  I  was  not  a  medical  man,  or  that  I  had  not 
much  medicine  to  spare,  carrving  only  wdiat  I  expected 
to  use  for  my  own  party.  If  I  had  given  them  all  they 
wanted,  our  little  stock  would  have  been  exhausted  on 


12 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


the  first  day  ;  Init  in  order  to  soften  my  heart  they 
would  send  me  molasses,  suo:ar-cane,  and  similar  del- 
icacies.    One  poor  old  woman  who  was  suffering  from 

cancer  even  offered  me 
her  donkey  if  I  would 
cure  her — an  offer  in 
a  way  equivalent  to  a 
Wall  Street  magnate's 
millions,  for  the  don- 
key was  her  sole  pos- 
session on  earth. 

They  all  were  anx- 
ious to  have  me  feel 
their  pulse,  whether 
there  was  anything  the 
matter  with  them  or 
not.  They  firmly  be- 
lie\'ed  that  this  mys- 
terious touch  enabled 
me  to  tell  whether  they 
were  afflicted  with  any 
kind  of  disease  and 
how  long  thev  were 
going  to  live,  A  wom- 
an in  delicate  condi- 
tion wanted  me  to  feel 
her  pulse  and  to  tell 
her  from  that  when 
her  child  was  going  to  be  born.  I  only  hope  that  my 
practical  advice  and  the  little  medicine  I  could  give  them 
relieved  some  of  their  backaches  and  sideaches,  their 
felons,  crouj)s,  and  fevers  and  agues,  and  above  all,  their 
indigestion,  wiiich  is  the  j)revailing  trouble  in  that  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  But  I  confess  that  I  was  nearly 
tired  out  with  these  consultations.      In  consequence  of 


A  Mexican  from  Opoto. 


THE    PEOPLE   HELPFUL 


13 


frequent  intermarriages  there  are  many  deaf  and  dumb 
persons  among  them,  and  epilepsy  and  insanity  are  by  no 
means  rare. 

On  tlie  other  hand,  I  was  assured  that  such  a  char- 
acter as  a  thief  was  here  unknown.  However  this 
might  be,  it  was  certain  that  the  Mexicans  of  Eastern 
Sonora  were  a  nice  class  of  peojjle.  They  were  pleas- 
ant to  deal  with,  very  active  and  obedient,  and  I  never 
wish  for  better  men  than  those  I  then  had  in  my  camp, 
nearly  all  of  whom  were  from  these  parts.  The  people 
were  poor,  but  genuinely  hospitable.  Of  course  they 
were  ignorant,  and  might  not,  for  instance,  recognise  a 
check  unless  it  was  green.  In  each  town,  however,  I 
found  one  or  two  men  comparatively  rich,  who  knew 
more  of  the  world  than  the  others,  and  who  helped  me 
out  in  my  difficulties  by  going  from  house  to  house, 
collecting  all  the  available  cash  in  town,  or  what  coffee 
and  sugar  could  be  spared  to  make  up  the  deficiency. 
One  thing  is  certain,  I  should  never  have  gotten  on  so 
well  had  it  not  been  for  the  friendlv  and  oblie^inor 
attitude  of  the  Mexicans  everywhere.  As  an  instance, 
when  the  great  scarcity  of  grass  began  to  tell  seriously 
on  the  animals,  I  was  efficiently  helped  out  by  the 
courtesy  of  some  influential  men.  Without  any  person- 
al letters  of  introduction  I  received  many  services  when- 
ever I  showed  my  letters  of  recommendation  from  the 
Governor  of  the  State,  and  had  a  hearty  welcome. 

I  was  so  much  impressed  with  the  readiness  of  the 
people  to  accommodate  and  serve  me  that  my  note- 
book contains  the  remark  :  "  I  find  the  Mexicans  more 
obliging  than  any  nation  I  have  ever  come  in  contact 
with."  It  has  been  my  lot  to  travel  for  years  in  Mex- 
ico, and  my  experience  with  her  people  only  tended  to 
deepen  the  pleasant  impression  I  received  at  the  outset. 
Anyone  who  travels  through  Mexico  well  recommended 


14  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

and  conducts  himself  in  accordance  wiih  the  standard 
of  a  gentleman  is  sure  to  be  agreeably  surprised  by  the 
hospitality  and  helpfulness  of  the  people,  high  and  low, 
and  it  is  not  a  meaningless  phrase  of  politeness  only  by 
which  a  Mexican  "  places  his  house  at  your  disposal." 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  have  as  your  chief 
packer  a  man  who  thoroughly  understands  how  to  take 
care  of  the  animals.  It  is  not  the  custom  in  Mexico, 
as  it  is  everywhere  in  Australia,  to  wash  the  backs 
of  the  animals  as  soon  as  the  packs  or  saddles  are 
taken  ofT — a  precaution  which  is  very  beneficial,  as  it 
strengthens  the  skin  and  prevents  inflammation  and 
sores.  In  the  Southwest  they  do  not  wash  their 
beasts  of  burden  until  the  mischief  is  done  and  they 
have  to  allay  the  swelling  and  heal  up  the  cuts.  If  not 
properlv  cared  for  from  the  beginning,  the  animals 
will  soon  be  ailing  ;  some  grow  unfit  for  service,  and 
much  time  is  lost  mornino-s  and  evenino-s  curino^  their 
sores.  Through  the  carelessness  of  some  packers  I  lost 
several  valuable  mules  from  such  wounds.  In  summer 
the  blue-bottle  fly  aggravates  the  annoyance,  as  it  lays 
its  eggs  in  the  open  spaces  of  the  skin,  and  maggots 
develop  in  a  very  short  time.  Of  course  there  are  many 
ways  of  ridding  an  animal  of  this  pest,  but  here,  as 
everyvv^here,  the  proverbial  ounce  of  prevention  is 
better  than  the  pound  of  cure. 

A  curious  case  of  a  man  whose  life  was  threatened 
by  a  blue-bottle  fly  and  its  maggots  came  to  my  notice. 
He  was  a  soldier,  and  once  in  a  fight  he  had  his  nose 
cut  off  so  that  the  nostrils  became  entirely  exposed. 
One  night  when  he  was  asleep,  drunk,  a  fly  laid  its  eggs 
in  his  nose,  and  when  these  were  hatched  it  seemed 
as  if  the  man  was  to  be  eaten  up  alive.  I  gave  him 
some  relief  by  syringing  the  parts  with  a  solution  of 
corrosive  sublimate.     Then  an  intelligent  Mexican,  who 


ROCK-CARVINGS 


15 


had  an  extensive  knowledi^e  of  ilie  numberless  native 
medicinal  j)lants  (many  of  which,  no  doubt,  are  very 
valuable),  treated  the  patient,  and  in  two  days  the  poor 
wretch  seemed  to  be  in  a  fair  \va\'  to  be  saved. 


Rock-carvings  near  Granados. 


Near  Granados  I  heard  of  some  petroglyphs,  or  rock- 
carvings,  and  sent  Mr.  Stephen  to  examine  them.  The 
Mexicans  called  them  "  Painted  Face."  They  were 
to  be  fountl  only  two   miles  and  a  half  to  the  north- 


i6  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

west  of  the  town,  and  were  interestino-.  The  designs 
were  rudely  peeked  on  the  moderately  smooth  felsite 
cliffs  on  a  nearly  perpendicular  wall  in  the  foot-hills, 
about  forty  feet  above  the  bed  of  the  arroyo,  or  gulch. 
All  the  human  fio-ures  were  drawn  in  the  characteristic 
style  that  we  find  farther  north,  the  hands  and  feet  being 
defined  with  three  radiating  lines,  like  a  bird's  track. 
The  size  of  the  figure,  carved  in  something  like  a  frame, 
is  about  twenty  l)y  twenty-four  inches,  and  each  of  the 
three  figures  in  the  group  close  below  is  about  eighteen 
inches  high.  Some  of  the  drawings  evidently  represent 
the  deified  dragon-fly  found  almost  everywhere  among 
the  ruins  of  Arizona  and  Northern  Mexico.  There  are 
also  the  concentric  circles,  the  conventionalised  spiral, 
and  the  meander  design,  so  common  among  the  North 
American  Indians,  and  still  in  use  among  the  Moquis. 

Our  botanist,  Mr.  Hartman,  drew  my  attention  to 
an  interesting  cactus,  which  is  beautifully  shaped  like  a 
candelabra,  and  attains  a  height  of  three  to  five  feet. 
As  it  grows  old,  the  top  joints  of  the  branches  become 
thick  and  heavy  and  are  easily  broken  off  by  the  wind. 
The  joints,  like  all  other  parts  of  the  plant,  are  beset 
with  numerous  inch-long  spines,  and  many  of  them 
fasten  in  the  loose,  moist  soil  and  strike  root.  In  this 
way  many  new  plants  are  formed,  standing  in  a  circle 
around  the  mother  j)]ant.  On  sloping  ground  the  young 
plants  form  rows,  some  forty  feet  long.  There  was  a 
fruit  to  be  observed,  but  very  scarce  in  comparison  with 
that  of  other  species  of  Cercus  growing  in  the  vicinity. 


CHAPTER    II 


A      REMARKABLE     ANTIQUE      PIECE — A      NEW     SPECIES    OF    CENTURY 

PLANT ARRIVAL    AT     NACORI,    AT     THE     FOOT    OF     THE     SIERRA 

MADRE TRIXCHERAS — A    ^LAM.MOTH    TUSR    SECURED CLIMBING 

THE    SIERRA  iMAURE A    NEW    SQUIRREL   DISCOVERED SOLITUDE 

APACHE   MONUMENTS — ARRIVAL    AT    UPPER    P.AVISPE    RIVER. 


FROjM  Granados  \vc  took  an  easterly  course,  being 
at  last  able  to  cross  the  Bavispe  River,  which, 
owing  to  heavv  rains  in  the  sierra,  had  for  some  time 
been  overflowing.      Starting  from  this  point,  the  ground 


The  Church  in  Bacadehuachi. 

gradually  rising,  we  arrived  at  Bacadehuachi,  a  small 
village  remarkable  for  its  church,  a  massive  adobe  struct- 
ure, the  grand  style  of  which  looked  somewhat  out  of 
proportion  in   these  mountains.      It  had  been   built  by 

Vol.  I.— 2  17 


i8 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


the  Franciscans  more  than  loo  years  ago,  on  the  site 
of  an  older  Jesuit  church,  remains  of  which  are  still  in 
existence,  and  which  in  turn  had  been  erected  on  the 
ruins  of  an  ancient  temple. 

While  inspecting  the  church  Professor  Libbey  dis- 
covered that  one  of  the  holy  water  fonts  or  stoups  was  a 

piece  of  great  antiquity, 
and  we  were  informed 
that  it  had  been  dug  up 
from  the  debris  of  the 
ancient  temple  when 
the  foundations  for  the 
present  building  were 
aid.  Its  aesthetic  value 
appealed  even  to  the 
unscientific  builders  of 
the  church,  who  deemed 
the  vessel  worthy  of 
a  place  in  the  new 
cathedral,  where  it 
served  as  a  beni- 
tier.  Unfortunate- 
Iv,  it  had  been  found 
necessary  to  engrave  on 
the  ancient  carv^ing 
some  Roman  letters 
dedicating  the  vessel  to  its  new  purpose.  Though  this 
somewhat  mars  its  general  character,  the  vase  is  a  most 
valuable  relic  of  prehistoric  Mexico,  not  only  as  a  mas- 
terpiece of  ancient  art,  but  still  more  as  a  way-mark  or 
sign-post  showing  the  trend  of  Aztec  migrations. 

It  was  not  possible  to  obtain  it  right  away,  but  a 
few  days  later  I  sent  a  messenger  to  a  gentleman  in 
Granados,  whose  wife  had  been  relieved  from  illness  by 
some    remedy  of    mine,    requesting  him  to    use  his  in- 


Aztec  Vase,  found  in  the  Church  oi^ 
Bacadehuachi.      Height,  37  ctm. 


NACORI 


19 


fluence  with  the  priest,  and  in  due  course  I  had  the  sat- 
isfaction of  possessing  this  valuable  relic  of  history.  The 
vase  is  made  of  a  soft,  unctuous  stone  resembling  steatite 
(soapstone);  it  is  true  agalmatolite,  a  mineral  popularly 
called  pagoda  stone.  Through  the  mouth  of  the  human 
head  carved  out  in  front  passes  a  copper  tube,  which 
once  no  doubt  pierced  the  thick  wall  of  the  vessel  and 
penetrated  into  its  interior.  This  tube  had  been  stopped 
up  to  make  the  piece  available  for  its  new  purpose. 

Marching  for  several  days  through  oaks  and  mes- 
quites,  over  hills  and  rising  country,  we  reached  Nacori, 
a  poor  village  in  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  Madre.  It 
is  scarcely  forty  miles  from  Granados,  and  lies  at  an  ele- 


Agave  Hartmani,  a  new  species  ot  century  plant. 

vation  of  3,700  feet.  Our  camp,  about  two  miles  out- 
side of  the  village,  was  permeated  with  a  delicious  odour 
of  acacia  blossoms,  and  water  in  the  neighbouring  moun- 
tains, though  strongly  impregnated  with  iron,  was  quite 
palatable. 

In  this  region   Mr.  Hartman   found  a  new  form  of 


20  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

aga\e  with  delicate  stripes  of  white  on  the  lanceolate 
leaves  that  constitute  the  basal  rosette  of  the  plant. 
The  flower  stalk  is  only  twelve  or  thirteen  inches  high, 
and  I  should  not  wonder  if  this  diminutive  and  beautiful 
century  plant  some  day  became  fashionable  in  green- 
houses. It  grows  in  large  numbers  in  the  crevices  of 
the  rocks,  the  perpendicular  walls  of  canons  often  being 
studded  with  the  bright  little  rosettes  when  the  drought 
has  withered  all  herbaceous  vegetation. 

From  here  I  made  an  excursion  to  an  ancient  pueblo 
site.  As  usual,  there  were  traces  of  small  dwellings, 
huts  of  undressed  stone,  and  fragments  of  pottery.  We 
found  three  mortars  and  one  pestle,  a  remarkable  num- 
ber of  metates  (the  stone  on  which  corn  is  ground),  and 
the  corresponding  grinding  stones,  showing  that  a  large 
population  must  have  once  lived  here,  huddled  together 
in  a  small  space. 

But  the  most  striking  feature  of  antiquity  met  thus 
far  on  our  journey  were  curious  stone  terraces  built 
across  the  small  gullies.  They  are  called  trincheras 
(trenches).    Some  of  them  do  not  appear  to  be  very  old, 

and  many  present  the  ap- 
pearance of  tumble-down 
walls,  but  the  stones  of 
which  they  are  construct- 
ed were  j^lainly  used  in 
their  natural  state.  Al- 
.    .  ,.  .     I   .   k    n        thouoh    many  of  the 

Ancient  pecking  on  a  trachvte  boulder  ^  -' 

one  foot  square.'  bouldcrs    are    huge   and 

irregular  in  shape,  they 
were  used  just  as  thev  were  found.  The  building  material 
always  conformed  to  the  surroundings  :  in  places  where 
conglomerate  containing  water-worn  boulders  abounded, 
this  was  used  ;  where  porphyry  was  prevalent,  blocks 
of  that  material  were  employed.     There  is  no  trace  of 


TRINCHEKAS  21 

dressing  or  cutting",  hul  in  the  mason  work  c()nsidcrai)lc 
skill  is  evident,  llie  walls  are  not  vertical,  hut  incline 
somewhat  toward  the  slope  on  which  they  are  erected. 
The  terrace  thus  formed  is  often  filled  with  soil  to  the 
height  of  the  wall-top  for  a  space  of  from  fifteen  to  twen- 
ty feet.  Earth  taken  from  tlicm  does  not  show  any 
colours.  Some  of  these  trincheras  measure  thirty  feet 
in  length  by  four  feet  in  height,  while  the  smallest  ones 
I  saw  were  only  five  feet  long  and  three  feet  high. 
Naturally  enough,  the  largest  ones  are  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  gullies ;  then,  some  twenty-five  feet  back  and 
above,  others  almost  as  large  may  be  found.  As  the 
arroyo  rises  and  narrows,  the  walls,  each  placed  a  little 
higher  up  the  slope  than  the  })receding  one,  are  neces- 
sarily smaller. 

In  the  mountains  near  Nacori,  especially  on  their 
eastern  and  southeastern  sides,  trincheras  were  en- 
countered in  every  gulch  as  high  up  as  six  thousand 
feet,  though  steep  crests  and  the  mountain  tops  bear  no 
traces  of  them.  In  one  arroyo,  which  was  about  a  thou- 
sand feet  in  length  and  of  comparatively  gentle  slope, 
twenty-nine  trincheras  were  counted  from  the  bed  of 
the  main  drainage  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain. 
Some  of  them  were  quite  close  together,  three  being 
within  eighteen  feet  of  one  another. 

These  trincheras  somewhat  resemble  the  small  ter- 
race gardens  of  the  Moqui  Indians,  and  have  undoubt- 
edly been  used  for  agricultural  purposes,  just  as  they 
are  used  by  the  Tarahumares  to  this  day  (page  152).  It 
is  true  that  thev  are  built  in  great  numbers,  sometimes 
in  localities  that  would  appear  unsuitable  for  farming  ; 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  they  are  seldom,  if  ever,  found 
far  from  the  remains  of  habitations,  a  fact  from  which 
it  may  also  reasonably  be  inferred  that  the  ruined 
houses,  as  well  as  the  trincheras,  were  originally  built  by 


22  I  NKNOWN    MEXICO 

the  same  race.  Some  of  the  terraces  were,  no  doubt, 
erected  as  a  protection  of  tlie  crop  against  enemies  and 
wild  animals  ;  but  it  is  impossible  to  think  that  thev 
were  intended  for  irrigation  dams,  though  we  did  see 
water  running  through  some,  coming  out  of  a  marsli. 
Still  less  likelv  is  it  that  thev  had  been  used  as  mining 
dams. 

As  soon  as  the  plains  of  Northern  Sonora  were  left 
behind,  and  the  country  became  hillv  and  broken,  these 
peculiar  structures  were  conspicuous.  At  first  thev  ap- 
peared more  like  walls  built  simply  along  the  slopes 
of  the  hills,  and  not  crossing  gulches.  They  seem  to  be 
more  numerous  in  the  western  and  central  part  of  the 
sierra,  its  spurs  and  foot-hills,  than  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  great  range.  As  regards  their  southern  extent, 
they  are  not  found  further  south  than  the  middle  part 
of  the  state  of  Chihuahua.  Captain  Bourke,  in  his 
book,  "An  Apache  Campaign,"  mentions  that  "in 
every  sheltered  spot  could  be  discerned  ruins,  buildings, 
walls,  and  dams,  erected  bv  an  extinct  race  once  possess- 
ing these  regions."  Mr.  A.  F.  Bandelier,  on  his  jour- 
ney to  the  Upper  Yaqui  River,  in  1885,  which  took 
him  as  far  as  Nacori,  also  refers  to  them,  and  Professor 
W.  J.  McGee,  on  his  expedition  in  1895,  found  in  North- 
eastern Sonora  ruins  locally  known  as  Las  Tri7icJieras, 
which  he  considered  the  most  elaborate  prehistoric  work 
known  to  exist  in  Northwestern  Mexico.  They  com- 
prise, he  says,  terraces,  stone-walls,  and  inclosed  fortifi- 
cations, built  of  loose  stones  and  nearly  surrounding 
two  buttes. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  that  in  a  week's  explo- 
ration in  the  mountains  near  Nacori,  Mr.  Stephen  and 
his  party  did  not  find  any  pottery  fragments,  nor  flint 
flakes,  nor  grinding  stones.  They  reported  that  there 
was  in  that  region  no   other  trace  of  an  early  people 


A    MAMMOTH    TUSK  23 

than  the  hundreds  of  trincheras  in  the  lower  portions  of 
the  arroyos. 

Noteworthy,  however,  was  the  frequent  occurrence 
of  old  trails  across  the  hills,  some  quite  plainly  trace- 
able for  three  and  four  hundred  yards.  Old  oaks 
stretched  their  limbs  across  many  of  them  quite  close  to 
the  ground. 

While  at  Nacori  I  learned  from  the  inhabitants  that 
at  no  orieat  distance  from  their  town  there  were  several 
deposits  containing  httcsos  giganteos  (giants'  bones), 
a  name  given  to  fossils  in  this  part  of  the  world,  where 
the  people  imagine  that  the  large  bones  were  originally 
those  of  giants.  I  had  then  neither  time  nor  men  to 
make  excavations  of  any  importance  ;  but  Mr.  White, 
the  mineralogist  of  the  expedition,  whom  I  sent  to  look 
into  the  matter,  and  who  devoted  a  week  to  the  exam- 
ination of  the  deposits,  reported  that  one  of  them,  in  a 
valley  sixteen  miles  south  of  Nacori,  was  a  bed  of  clay 
thirty  feet  thick  and  about  a  mile  and  a  half  long.  On 
the  edge  of  this  field  he  discovered  a  tusk  six  feet  eight 
inches  long  and  twenty-six  inches  at  its  widest  circum- 
ference, and  having  almost  the  curve  of  a  circle.  It  was 
not  petrified  and  had  no  bone  core,  but  the  hole  filled  in 
with  clay,  and  its  colour  was  a  rich  mahogany.  It  was 
undoubtedly  the  tusk  of  a  mammoth. 

From  the  beginning  it  had  surprised  me  how  very 
ignorant  the  people  of  Sonora  were  regarding  the  Sierra 
Madre.  The  most  prominent  man  in  Opoto,  a  town 
hardly  forty  miles  from  the  sierra,  told  me  that  he  did 
not  know  how  far  it  was  to  the  sierra,  nor  was  he  able  to 
say  exactly  where  it  was.  Not  even  at  Nacori,  so  close 
to  this  tremendous  mountain  range,  was  there  much  in- 
formation to  be  gotten  about  it.  What  the  Mexicans 
know  about  that  region  may  be  brieflv  summed  up  thus : 
That  it  is  a  vast  wilderness  of  mountains  most  difficult 


24 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


of  approach  ;  that  it  would  take  eight  days  to  climb 
some  of  the  high  ridges ;  that  it  contains  immense  pine 
forests  alive  with  deer,  bear,  and  wonderfully  large  wood- 
peckers, able  to  cut  down  whole  trees  ;  and  that  in  its 
midst  there  are  still  existing  numerous  remains  of  a 
people  who  vanished  long  ago,  but  who  once  tilled  the 


111  ihc  Hills  oi  Northeastern  Suiiora. 


soil,   lived   in    towns    and    built    monuments,    and   even 
bridges  over  some  of  its  caiions. 

This  general  ignorance  is  mainly  due  to  the  fact 
that  until  very  recently  this  entire  part  of  the  sierra, 
from  the  border  of  the  United  States  south  about 
250   miles,    was   under    the    undisputed    control   of    the 


THE   APACHE   SCOLKGE  25 

wild  Apache  Indians.  From  ihcir  mountain  strong- 
holds these  marauders  made  raiding'  expeditions  into  the 
adjacent  states,  west  and  east,  sweeping  down  upon  the 
farms,  plundering  the  villages,  (hixing  off  horses  and 
herds  of  cattle,  killing  men  and  carrying  off  women  and 
children  into  slavery.  Mines  became  unworkable;  farms 
had  to  be  deserted  ;  the  churches,  built  by  the  Spaniards, 
mouldered  into  decay.  The  raiders  had  made  them- 
selves absolute  masters,  and  so  bold  were  they  that  at 
one  time  a  certain  month  in  the  year  was  set  apart  for 
their  plundering  excursions  and  called  "the  moon  of  the 
Mexicans,"  a  fact  which  did  not  prevent  them  from  rob- 
bing at  other  seasons.  Often  troops  would  follow  them 
far  into  the  mountains,  but  the  "  braves  "  fought  so  skil- 
fully, and  hid  so  well  in  the  natural  fortresses  of  their 
native  domain,  that  the  pursuit  never  came  to  anything, 
and  the  Mexicans  were  completely  paralysed  with  fear. 
The  dread  of  the  terrible  pillagers  was  so  great  that  even 
at  the  time  when  I  first  went  into  the  district,  the  Mex- 
icans did  not  consider  it  a  crime  to  shoot  an  Apache  at 
sight. 

Such  a  scourg-e  did  this  tribe  become  that  the 
Governor  of  Chihuahua  had  a  law  passed  through  the 
Legislature,  which  put  a  certain  price  upon  the  head 
of  every  Apache.  But  this  law  had  soon  to  be  re- 
pealed, as  the  Mexicans,  eager  to  get  the  reward,  took 
to  killing  the  peaceful  Tarahumares,  w^hose  scalps,  of 
course,  could  not  be  distinguished  from  those  of  the 
Apaches. 

It  was  not  even  now  safe  for  a  small  party  to  cross 
the  Sierra  Madre,  as  dissatisfied  Apaches  were  con- 
stantly breaking  away  from  the  San  Carlos  Reservation 
in  Arizona,  and  no  Mexican  could  have  been  induced  to 
venture  singly  into  that  vast  unknown  domain  of  rock 
and  forest,  about  which  lingered  such  painful  memories 


26  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

of  bloodshed  and  icrror,*  In  the  early  part  of  our  jour- 
ney a  Mexican  officer  had  called  on  me  to  offer,  in  the 
name  of  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  Sonora,  his  services 
as  escort  and  protection  against  the  Apaches  ;  but  I  de- 
clined the  courtesy,  ])ref erring  to  depend  rather  upon  my 
own  men.  I  am  happy  to  say  that  I  had  no  personal  en- 
counter with  the  dreaded  "  Shis  Inday,"  or  Men  of  the 
Woods,  as  they  call  themselves,  though  on  one  occasion 
we  came  upon  fresh  tracks  near  one  of  our  camps,  and 
also  upon  small  bunches  of  yucca  leaves  tied  together  in 
a  peculiar  way  known  to  the  Mexicans  as  signs  intelligi- 
ble only  to  the  Apaches. 

The  only  precaution  I  had  taken  against  possible  at- 
tacks was  to  augment  my  force  of  trustworthy  Mexican 
muleteers.  Among  the  new  recruits  was  an  honest- 
looking  Opata  Indian,  who  joined  the  camp  one  evening, 
clad  in  the  national  costume  of  white  cotton  cloth,  and 
carrying  in  his  hand  a  small  l)undle  containing  his  wife's 
petticoat  (probably  intended  to  do  duty  as  a  blanket) 
and  a  pair  of  scissors.  This  was  his  whole  outfit  for  a 
winter  campaign  in  the  Sierra  Madre.  They  are  hardy 
people,  these  Indians!  This  man  told  me  that  he  was 
thirty  years  old  ;  his  "seiiora,"  he  said,  was  twenty-five; 
when  he  married  her  she  was  fifteen,  and  now  they  had 
eleven  children. 

Finally  I  succeeded  in  securing  two  guides.  One  of 
them  was  a  very  intelligent  man,  who  had  been  several 
times  in  the  sierra  ;  the  other  one  had  been  only  as  far 
as  Chuhuichupa,  and,  although  he  did  not  remember  the 
way  very  well,  still  he  thought  that  with  the  help  of  the 
other  man  he  would  be  able  to  make  out  the  route.  As 
we  could  do  no  better,  we  had  to  take  him  as  the  best 
guide  available. 

*  Several  years  after  my  expedition  passed  through  those  regions  the  Apaches  on 
more  than  one  occasion  attacked  outlying  Mormon  ranches  and  killed  several  persons. 


CLIMBING   THE   SIEKKA    MADRE 


27 


After  having  received  some  supplementary  provis- 
ions from  Granados,  I  at  last,  on  December  2,  1890,  be- 
gan the  ascent.  It  was  a  beautiful  day  ;  the  air  was 
clear  and  warm  and  the  sun  shone  bright,  as  it  always 
does  at  this  time  of  the  year  in  this  favoured  region. 
The  genius  of  spring  seemed  to  hover  about,  and  snow, 
frost  and  scarcity  of  grass  seemed  far  removed  contin- 
gencies.    Everything  looked  promising. 

As  I  left  the  town,  following  the  pack-train  after 
having   made   the   last  settlements  with   the   natives,   I 


Adios,  Senor! 

passed  a  little  hut,  the  last  homestead  on  this  side  of 
the  sierra.  In  front  of  it  stood  a  voungf  {jirl,  her  hand 
raised  to  shade  her  eyes  against  the  rays  of  the  sinking 
sun.  She  had  watched  the  expedition  go  by,  and  was 
much  excited  by  the  strange  sight  of  so  many  men,  the 
wonderful  array  of  animals  and  great  quantity  of  bag- 
gage never  before  seen  in  those  parts  of  the  world. 
With  her  fine  dark  eyes,  her  loose  wavy  hair  and  grace- 
ful figure,  she  made  a  strikingly  beautiful  picture,  and 
as  she  called  out  in  a  sweet,  melodious  voice,  ''Adios, 
Sefior ! ''  I  took  this  kindly  greeting  from  a  pretty  girl 


28  UNKNOWN   xMEXICO 

as  a  orood  omen  for  my  journey.  On  the  spur  of  the 
moment  I  dismounted  and  perpetuated  the  auspicious 
scene  bv  means  of  a  kodak  wiiicli  I  carried  fastened  to 
the  pommel  of  my  saddle.  I  wish  it  had  been  possible 
for  me  to  send  her  that  picture  as  a  token  of  my  grat- 
itude for  her  cheery  greeting.  She  surely  would  have 
appreciated  it,  as  all  Mexicans  delight  in  seeing  their 
photographs.  Then  I  turned  my  face  to  the  east  and 
soon  overtook  my  men. 

To  reach  the  Sierra  Madre  from  the  Bavispe  River 
by  way  of  Nacori,  two — or,  as  the  Mexicans  consider  it, 
three — sierras  have  to  be  crossed,  all  running,  generally 
speaking,  in  a  northwesterly  to  southeasterly  direction. 
The  first  two  ranges  are  quite  easy  to  climb.  The  third 
is  the  Sierra  Madre  proper,  which  the  Mexicans  here 
call  Sierra  de  Nacori,  as  the  upper  Bavispe  River  from 
its  source  makes  a  great  detour  toward  the  north  around 
it,  thereby  partly  separating  it  from  the  main  chain. 
Even  this  range  does  not  really  present  any  unsur- 
mountable  difficulties  if  the  weather  is  fine ;  in  bad 
weather,  I  admit,  some  parts  of  the  trail  w^e  made  would 
be  all  but  impracticable. 

Having  reached  the  second  range  called  the  Sierra 
de  Huehuerachi,  near  its  northern  terminus,  and  look- 
ing backward,  we  see  the  Sierra  de  Bacadehuachi  lying 
farthest  to  the  west.  On  its  eastern  flank  tower  steep- 
tilted  broken  masses  of  conglomerate,  and  the  frowning- 
row  of  hog-backs  just  north  and  east  of  Nacori  are 
only  a  continuation  of  that  range.  But  looking  east 
from  where  we  were  we  obtained  the  first  close  view 
of  the  main  range  of  the  Sierra  Madre  (Sierra  de  Na- 
cori). It  rises  bold  and  majestic  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  valley,  at  the  bottom  of  which  runs  the  little  river 
of  Iluehuerachi. 

In   this   valley  we  camped   for   two  days,   being  de- 


fl;ifffl':i:i3!a«S'"P«llillllW'(i^|«^ 


^S&"^ 


A    DIFFICl'LT    IKAIL 


31 


laycd  by  rains.  It  was  early  in  December,  but  we  found 
Heliaiithus  ten  to  twelve  feet  high  in  bloom  every- 
where in  the  canons.  A  Salvia  with  a  blue  corolla,  dot- 
ted with  red  glands,  was  very  striking,  a  new  variety,  as 
it  proved.  We  also  observed  elders  with  flowers  and 
leaves  at  the  same  time,  and  the  Baiiilmsa  formed  a 
thick  light-green  undergrowth  in  beautiful  contrast  to 
the  darker  shades  of  the  oaks,  elders,  and  fan  palms. 
The  latter  were  the  last  of  their  kind  we  saw  on  this 
side  of  the  sierra. 

We  then  went  six  miles  further  to  the  northeast. 
At  first  the  trail  followed  the  little  river,  whose  clear 
and  rapid  water  is  about  a  foot  deep  and  on  an  average 
six  feet  wide.  Frequently  its  bed  had  to  be  cleared  of 
palm  trees  to  make  it  passable  for  the  pack  train,  and 
big  boulders  and  heavy  undergrowth  made  travel  rough. 
Then,  ascending  a  cordon  \vhich  led  directly  up  to  the 
main  range,  we  followed  for  a  while  a  dim  trail  on 
which  the  Apaches  used  to  drive  the  herds  of  cattle 
they  had  stolen,  and  which  is  said  to  lead  to  a  place  so 
inaccessible  that  two  Indians  could  keep  a  whole  com- 
pany at  bay.  The  surface  soil  we  had  lately  been  trav- 
elling over  was  covered  with  boulders  and  fragments  of 
conglomerate. 

The  Sierra  Madre  was  now  so  close  that  the  tilted 
masses  of  its  rocks  seemed  to  overhang  our  tents  threat- 
eningly where  we  had  pitched  them  at  its  foot.  From 
this  camp  we  had  about  the  same  splendid  view  as  from 
the  ridge  of  Huehuerachi  we  had  just  left  behind  ;  and 
between  us  and  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  de  Bacade- 
huachi  stretched  out  a  vast  mass  of  barren -looking 
rocks  and  hills.  The  Mexicans  call  them  agiia  blanca, 
a  designation  also  applied  to  the  small  water  course  that 
runs  through  them  in  a  northerly  and  southerly  direc- 
tion, but  which   from  our  point   of   view  could  not  be 


32 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


made  out  in  the  chaotic  confusion.  Away  off  toward 
the  north,  at  a  distance  of  fiom  fifteen  to  twenty  miles, 
could  be  seen  a  high  chain  of  sharp  peaks. 

I  may  mention  here  that  1  found  the  water  of  many 
streamlets  and  brooks  throughout  the  western  moun- 
tains of  Mexico  to  have  a  slightly  whitish  colour  and  a 
dull,  opalescent  look,  like  a  strong  solution  of  quinine. 
The  Mexicans  call  it  agua  blauca,  or  agiia  zarca,  and 
consider  it  the  best  water  they  have.  Many  places,  es- 
pecially ranches,  are  named  after  it.  In  the  locality 
where  we  now  found  ourselves  the  water  had  a  slight- 
ly bitter  taste,  owing  to  a  strong  admixture  of  iron  and 
other  minerals,  but  generally  it  was  very  palatable. 

Here,  only  twenty-three  miles  from  Nacori,  and  at 
an  elevation  of  4,000  feet,  we  were  obliged  to  make 
camp  for  three  days.  Dense  fogs  and  occasional  hard 
showers  made  travel  impossible.  Besides,  our  principal 
guide,  Agustin  Rios,  became  dangerously  ill.  He  was 
sixty-live  years  old,  and   I   decided  to   send  him  back. 

"^     When   I   hired    him   I 
had    not    been    aware 
that    he    was    afflicted 
with  an  incurable   dis- 
ease, and  that  on  this 
account   his   wife   had 
tried   to   keep    him   at 
home.      Now   he   had 
to  be  carried  on  a  sort 
of  palanquin  construct- 
ed   for    the    occasion, 
and   I   regret   to   state 
that  he  died  before  he  reached  his  home  in  Nacori.     He 
had  been  a  reliable  man,  and  his  loss  was  very  dei)l()rable. 
Before  he  left  he  gave  me  directions  for  finding  a 
rather  large  ancient  pueblo,  which  he  had  come  across 


,1^* 


Our  Principal  Guide  Leaving  Us. 


DANGEROUS   TRAVELLING 


33 


once  In  the  sierra,  and  of  which  he  frequently  spoke  to 
us.  However,  our  search  for  it  proved  fruitless,  and  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  it  would  probably  not  have 
differed  much  from  those  we  found  later  on  Bavispe 
River. 

From  now  on  I  made  it  a  rule  to  send  three  or  four 
men  about  two  days  ahead  of  the  main  body  of  the  ex- 


A  Mule  with  its  Pack  of  Crates. 

pedition,  to  make  a  path.  Occasionally  they  were 
guided  by  Apache  tracks,  but  for  the  most  part  we  cut 
our  own  w^ay  through  the  wilderness.  Instead  of  adopt- 
ing the  Mexican  method  of  going  uphill  as  straight  as 
practicable,  I  had  the  trail  cut  zigzag,  and  to  this  I  at- 
tribute the  fact  that  I  was  able  to  pull  through  at  all,  as 
it  saved  the  animals  an  immense  amount  of  strain.  The 
steepest  inclination  we  ascended  was  40°,  while  for  the 
most  part  we  climbed  at  an  angle  of  about  30°.  On 
some  of  the  ridges,  in  order  to  help  an  animal  up,  one 
man  had  to  drag  it  by  a  line,  while  two  others  pushed  it 
from  behind.  In  many  places  the  mules  had  to  be  led 
one  by  one  along  the  narrow  edge  of  chasms. 

To  look  at  these  mountains  is  a  soul-inspiring  sensa- 
tion ;  but  to  travel  over  them  is  exhaustive  to  muscle 
and  patience.     And  the  possibility  of  losing  at  any  mo- 

Vol.  I.— 3 


34 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


ment  perhaps  the  most  Vciliuil)le  part  of  your  outfit  is  a 
constant  and  severe  strain  on  your  mind.  Nobody  ex- 
cept those  who  have  travelled  in  the  Mexican  mountains 
can  understand  and  appreciate  the  difficulties  and  anxi- 
eties attending  such  a  journey.  Not  only  the  animals 
themselves,  but  everything  they  carry  is  vital  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  expedition,  and  there  is  always  a  danger  that, 
for  instance,  your  camera  and  photographic  outfit,  and 
the  priceless  collection  of  negatives  already  taken,  may 
roll  down  a  precipice. 

A  mule  with  its  bulky  pack  is,  to  a  certain  extent, 

helpless  on  these  narrow 
mountain  trails.  Old  and 
experienced  animals  often 
manoeuvre  their  packs 
with  a  cleverness  that  is 
almost  human  :  yet,  wdien- 
ever  a  mule  runs  acciden- 
tally aofainst  some  proiec- 
f'tw  "tion,  or  its  foot  slips,  the 
poor  beast  invariably  loses 
•^j.t;:^^,-''-*-^^-  ;5|:^,,:^^'?^    its    balance,    and    over   it 

The  Photographic  Mule.  goes,   down   the  hill  with 

ever-increasing  velocity. 
On  one  occasion  I  heard  a  noise  coming  from  above 
without  being  at  first  able  to  discern  what  caused  it.  A 
few  stones  came  tumbling  down,  and  were  presently  fol- 
lowed by  a  donkey,  pack  and  all,  turning  over  and  over 
with  astounding  speed.  It  cleared  a  perpendicular  rock 
some  twenty  feet  high  and  landed  at  its  base,  rolling 
over  twice.  Then,  to  my  amazement,  it  rose  to  its  feet 
in  the  midst  of  its  scattered  cargo.  And  do  you  know 
what  that  cargo  consisted  of  ? — a  case  of  dynamite  and 
our  tool  chest !  As  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry  them, 
two  Mexicans  were  by  its  side,  promptly  reloading  the 


SURE-FOOTED    MULETEERS  35 

donkey  and  leading  it  uj)  to  the  trail  as  eoolly  as  if 
nothing  had  happened.  A  very  fine  mule,  raised  on  the 
plains  of  Arizona,  was  naturally  giddy,  and  met  with 
such  a  mishap  three  times  in  one  day,  tumbling  down 
150  to  200  feet  without,  lunvever,  being  seriously  hurt. 
At  first  I  was  greatly  shocked  to  see  the  animals  thus 
rolling  over  and  over  with  their  packs,  down  the  moun- 
tain sides,  never  stopping  until  checked  by  some  large  tree 
or  rock,  sometimes  200  feet  below.  But  the  Mexicans 
were  evidently  quite  accustomed  to  such  happenings, 
which  seemed  to  be  in  the  regular  line  of  their  travel. 

I  could  not  help  admiring  the  agility  as  well  as  the 
valour  of  my  Mexican  packers  and  muleteers  on  such  oc- 
casions. They  moved  about  as  sure-footed  and  quick  as 
sailors  on  their  ship,  and  always  on  the  alert.  When- 
ever one  of  the  poor  beasts  lost  its  foothold,  the  men 
would  instantly  run  after  it,  and  as  soon  as  some  obsta- 
cle stopped  its  downward  career  they  would  be  by  its 
side  and  relieve  it  of  its  burden.  Of  course,  some- 
times the  animal  was  badly  bruised  about  the  head, 
and  unable  to  carry  a  pack  for  a  few  days  ;  but,  niira- 
bile  dictu  !  in  the  majority  of  cases  it  rose  to  its  feet. 
Then,  after  giving  it  a  few  moments'  respite,  the  packers 
would  strap  the  cargo  again  on  its  back,  unless  they 
deemed  it  proper  to  take  a  part  of  it  upon  themselves, 
so  that  the  beast  might  more  safely  climb  the  declivity. 
The  men  really  seemed  indefatigable.  One  of  them 
once  took  upon  his  head  a  large  case  of  honey  and  car- 
ried it  up  the  ridge  on  a  run.  Strange  as  it  may  sound, 
on  my  first  journey  across  the  Sierra  Madre  I  did  not 
lose  one  animal  by  such  accidents. 

Climbine,  climbino:,  climbinu:,  one  massive  cordon 
after  another,  at  the  start  through  dense  oak  thickets, 
and  over  hills  flattened  and  eroded  with  countless  deep, 
precipitous  gashes  seaming  the   rock  in  every  direction. 


36  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

Numerous  springs  oozed  and  iriekled  from  the  stratified 
conglomerate  along  the  edges,  sides,  and  bottoms  of  the 
ravines.  The  tops  of  some  of  these  truncated  knolls 
were  quite  swampy  in  the  depressions,  and  covered  with 
a  thin-stemmed  feathery  grass.  Here  and  there  was  a 
clump  of  scrub  oaks  ;  sparsely  scattered  about  were 
small  pines.  We  found  great  numbers  of  Opuntia 
Missottriensis,  called  by  the  Mexicans  nopal ;  small 
mesquite  shrubs,  too,  are  seen  everywhere,  while  the 
resurrection  plant  covers  great  areas,  like  the  heather  on 
the  Scotch  hills.  Here  are  also  found  century  plants, 
or  agaves,  and  many  species  of  small  ferns,  such  as  the 
graceful  maidenhair.  In  the  larger  watercourses  are 
poplars  and  maples,  now  presenting  their  most  brilliant 
hues,  and  carrying  the  thoughts  of  the  Americans  back 
to  their  Northern  homes. 

Thus  we  advanced  for  about  six  miles  and  made 
camp,  at  an  elevation  of  6,300  feet,  on  some  old 
trincheras,  with  a  fine  view  over  the  vast  country 
we  had  left  below.  Large  flocks  of  gray  pigeons 
of  remarkable  size  squatted  on  the  pine  trees  near- 
by, and  two  specimens  of  the  gigantic  woodpecker  we 
here  observed  for  the  first  time.  Here,  too,  Mr.  Rob- 
inette  shot  a  new  species  of  squirrel,  Sciiirus  Apache. 
It  was  large,  of  a  j)ale  grayish-yellow  color  varied  with 
black,  and  having  a  long,  full  and  bushy  tail. 

We  had  now  arrived  in  the  pine  region  of  the  si- 
erra. The  Mexican  scouts  reported  that  the  country 
ahead  of  us  was  still  more  difficult  of  access  ;  but  the 
track  having  been  laid  out  well  bv  Professor  Libbey 
along  the  pine-covered  slopes,  we  safely  arrived  at  the 
crest  of  the  sierra,  which  here  has  an  elevation  of 
8,200  feet.  The  steep  slopes  of  the  valleys  and  crev- 
ices were  covered  with  slippery  pine  needles  eight  to 
twelve     inches    long,   while    the    pines    rose    up   to    a 


SOLITUDE 


37 


height  of  a  hun- 
dred feet  or  more. 
The  forest,  never 
touched  by  a  wood- 
man's axe,  had  a 
remarkably  young 
and  fresh  look 
about  it.  Now  and 
then,  however,  at 
exposed  places  we 
came  upon  trees 
broken  off  like 
matches,  telling  of 
what  terrific  storms 
may  rag^e  over 
these  solitary  re- 
gions that  received 
us  calmly  enough. 
Not  until  we  had 
reached  the  top  did 
we  feel  the  wind 
blowing  pretty  hard 
from  the  east  and 


On  the  Crest  of  the  Sierra. 


encouragmg  us  m 

our  hopes  that  the  fine  weather  would  continue,  although 

the  moon  appeared  hazy. 

Having  ascended  the  sierra,  we  made  a  picturesque 
camp  on  the  top  of  the  cordon,  in  the  midst  of  forests 
so  dense  that  we  did  not  get  any  view  of  the  landscape. 
While  here,  Mr.  Stephen  discovered,  on  the  summit  of 
a  peak,  about  four  hundred  and  twenty  feet  above  the 
brow  of  the  ridge,  a  small  circular  structure  about  four 
feet  in  diameter.  Four  or  five  large  fragments  of 
scoria,  each  about  fifteen  inches  high,  were  set  around 
in   a  circle,  and  the   space  between  them   was  filled  in 


38  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

with  small  fragments.  No  nicety  was  shown  in  the 
work,  but  the  arrangement  of  the  stones  was  not  acci- 
dental. It  was,  however,  quite  old,  for  in  several  places 
the  fragments  were  cemented  together  with  a  thick  coat 
of  lichen.  The  ])urpose  of  the  circle  is  a  matter  of  con- 
jecture. 

We  were  now  obliged,  as  the  guide  did  not  seem  to 
know  any  more  of  the  country,  to  explore  ahead  of  us 
before  the  main  body  of  the  expedition  could  proceed 
further.  Several  of  us  went  out  in  different  directions, 
and  I  happened  to  strike  the  right  course,  which  here 
unexpectedly  goes  first  northward.  Accompanied  by 
my  dog  "  Apache,"  I  walked  in  the  fresh  morning  air 
through  the  sombre  pine  woods,  the  tops  of  which 
basked  in  glorious  sunshine,  and  along  the  high  cordon, 
which  ran  up  to  a  height  of  8,900  feet  (the  highest 
point  reached  on  my  first  expedition  over  the  Sierra 
Madre),  until  I  came  to  a  point  where  it  suddenly  ter- 
minated. But  I  soon  ascertained  that  a  spur  branching 
off  to  the  east  would  lead  us  in  the  right  direction, 

I  sat  down  to  gaze  upon  the  magnificent  panorama 
of  the  central  part  of  the  Sierra  Madre  spread  out  be- 
fore me.  To  the  north  and  northeast  were  pine-covered 
plateaus  and  hills  in  seemingly  infinite  successions ;  on 
the  eastern  horizon  my  eyes  met  the  dark,  massive 
heights  of  Chuhuichupa,  followed  towards  the  south  by 
ridge  upon  ridge  of  true  sierras  with  sharp,  serrated 
crests,  running  mainly  from  northwest  to  southeast. 
And  between  them  and  me  was  an  expanse  of  gloomy, 
pine-hidden  cordons,  one  succeeding  close  upon  an- 
other, and  running  generally  in  the  same  direction  as 
the  sierras.  Primeval  stillness  and  solitude  reigned  all 
over  the  woodland  landscape.  I  like  the  society  of  man, 
but  how  welcome  and  refreshing  are  occasional  moments 
of  undisturbed  communion  with  Nature  ! 


A    PLEASANT    SURPRISE 


39 


On  the  followincr  day  the  pack  train  moved  along 
the  path  I  had  walked  over.  We  were  pleasantly  sur- 
prised to  lind  at  this  season,  the  middle  of  December, 
and  at  this  elevation,  a  species  of  violet  in  bloom,  while 
Lupinus  and  /  7- 
cia  were  already 
in  seed.  We  made 
our  c  a  m  p  at  a 
place  7,400  feet 
above  sea  level, 
and  here  we  no- 
ticed trincheras 
close  by,  with 
water  running 
through  them 
from  a  marsh. 

We  also  hap- 
pened to  come 
upon  some  stone 
piles  made  of 
rough  stones  laid 
on  top  of  each 
other  to  a  height 


of  about  three 
feet.  The  Mexi- 
cans called  them 
"Apache  Monuments,"  and  I  saw  here  eight  or  ten, 
three  at  a  distance  of  only  twenty  yards  from  each  other 
and  lying  in  a  line  from  east  to  west.  On  the  next  day 
we  found  an  Apache  track  with  similar  monuments. 
Some  of  these  piles  did  not  seem  to  be  in  places  difficult 
to  travel,  and  therefore  could  hardly  have  been  intended 
for  guide-posts,  though  others  might  have  served  that 
purpose  ;  nor  is  it  easy  to  see  how  they  could  have  been 
meant  for  boundary  marks,  unless  they  were  erected  by 


Apache  Monument. 


40  UNKNOWN    iMEXICO 

some  half-castes  who  kept  company  with  the  Apaches, 
to  divide  off  the  hunting  grounds  of  various  families. 
It  seems  to  me  more  likely  that  they  are  connected 
with  some  religious  rite. 

We  had  some  little  difficulty  in  making  our  descent 
to  the  Bavispe  River,  but  at  last  we  discovered,  and 
travelled  down,  an  old  but  still  practicable  trail,  drop- 
ping nearly  i,ooo  feet.  A  little  further  northward  we 
came  down  another  i,ooo  feet,  and  thus  we  gradually 
reached  Bavispe,  which  is  here  a  rapid,  roaring  stream, 
girth-deep,  and  in  many  places  deeper.  It  here  flows 
northward,  describing  the  easterly  portion  of  the  curve 
it  forms  around  the  Sierra  de  Nacori. 

I  selected  as  a  camping  ground  a  small  mesa  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  river,  among  pines  and  oaks  and  high 
grass,  about  forty  feet  above  the  water  edge.  A  mead- 
ow set  park-like  with  pines  extended  from  here  nearly 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  along  the  river,  and  was  almost 
half  a  mile  wide.  Near  our  camp  we  found  several  old 
and  rusty  empty  tin  cans,  such  as  are  used  for  putting 
up  preserved  food.  One  of  them  was  marked  "  Fort 
Bowie."  Doubtless  this  spot  had  been  used  before  as 
a  camping  ground,  probably  by  some  of  General 
Crook's  scouts. 


CHAPTER    III 

CAMPING  AT  UPPER  BAVISPE  RIVER — LOW  STONE  CABINS,  FORTRESSES, 

AND    OTHER    REMAINS     INDICATING    FORMER    HABITATION THE 

ANIMALS    STARVE    ON    THE    WINTER    GRASS    OF  THE    SIERRA  AND 

BEGIN     TO     GIVE     OUT A    DESERTED     APACHE    CAMP COMFORT 

AT   LAST THE  GIANT  WOODPECKER WE    ARRIVE  AT    THE  MOR- 
MON   SETTLEMENTS    OF    PACHECO    AND    CAVE    VALLEV. 

AT  Bavispe  River  we  had  to  remain  for  some  little 
time  to  allow  the  animals  to  recuperate,  and  to 
get  them,  as  far  as  possible,  in  condition  for  the  hard 
work  still  ahead.  I  also  had  to  send  back  to  Nacori 
for  fresh  provisions.  Of  course,  not  much  was  to  be 
gotten  there,  but  we  got  what  there  was  in  the  line  of 
food  stuffs,  panoche  (brown  sugar)  and  corn.  My  mes- 
sengers had  orders  to  bring  the  latter  in  the  form  of 
pinole,  that  is,  toasted  corn  ground  by  hand  into  a  fine 
meal.  This  is  the  most  common,  as  well  as  the  most 
handy,  ration  throughout  Mexico.  A  little  bag  of  it  is 
all  the  provisions  a  Mexican  or  Indian  takes  with  him 
on  a  journey  of  days  or  weeks.  It  is  simply  mixed 
with  water  and  forms  a  tasty  gruel,  rather  indigestible 
for  persons  not  accustomed  to  it.  When  boiled  into  a 
porridge,  however,  pinole  is  very  nourishing,  and  forms 
a  convenient  diet  for  persons  camping  out.  Aside  from 
this  we  still  had  a  supply  of  wheat  flour  sufficient  to 
allow  the  party  fifteen  pounds  a  day,  and  our  stock  of 
canned  peas  and  preserved  fruit,  though  reduced,  was 
not  yet  exhausted.  The  jerked  beef  had  given  out  even 
before  we  reached  the  main  sierra,  and  we  had  to  de- 

41 


42  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

pend  on  our  guns  for  meat.  Luckily,  the  forest  was 
alive  with  deer,  and  there  were  also  wild  turkeys. 
Thus  there  was  no  difficulty  about  {)rovisions,  although 
the  Americans  sighed  for  their  beloved  bacon  and  hot 
biscuits. 

Fish  seemed  scarce  in  this  part  of  the  Bavispe 
River  ;  at  least  we  did  not  succeed  in  bringing  out  any 
bv  the  use  of  dynamite.  We  got  only  five  little  fish — 
one  catfish,  and  four  suckers,  the  largest  six  inches 
long. 

On  Christmas  Day  the  black  bulb  thermometer  rose 
in  the  sun  to  150°  F.,  although  that  very  night  the 
temperature  fell  to  22.9°  F.,  a  difference  of  nearly  130°. 
The  warmth  was  such  that  even  a  rattlesnake  was  de- 
ceived and  coaxed  out  by  it. 

We  made  every  effort  to  celebrate  Christmas  in  a 
manner  worthy  of  our  surroundings.  We  could  not 
procure  fish  for  our  banquet,  but  one  of  the  Mexicans 
had  the  good  luck  to  shoot  four  turkeys  ;  and  Kee, 
our  Chinese  cook,  surprised  us  with  a  plum  pudding  the 
merits  of  which  baffle  description.  It  consisted  mainly 
of  deer  fat  and  the  remnants  of  dried  peaches,  raisins, 
and  orange  peel,  and  it  was  served  with  a  sauce  of 
white  sugar  and  mescal.  The  appreciation  of  this  deli- 
cacy by  the  Mexicans  knew  no  bounds,  and  from  now 
on  they  wanted  plum  pudding  every  day. 

On  the  upper  Bavispe  we  again  found  numerous 
traces  of  a  by-gone  race  who  had  occupied  these  regions 
long  before  the  Apaches  had  made  their  unwelcome  ap- 
pearance. In  fact,  all  along  on  our  journey  across  the 
sierra  we  were  struck  by  the  constant  occurrence  of 
rude  monuments  of  people  now  long  vanished.  They 
became  less  numerous  in  the  eastern  part,  where  at  last 
they  were  replaced  by  cave  dwellings,  of  which  I  will 
speak  later. 


ANCIENT   CABINS  43 

More  than  ever  since  we  entered  the  Sierra  de  Na- 
cori,  \vc  noticed  everywhere  low  stone  walls,  similar  to 
those  we  had  seen  in  the  foot-hills,  and  evidently  the 
remains  of  small  cabins.  The  deeper  we  penetrated 
into  the  monntains,  the  more  common  became  these 
hut-walls,  which  stood  about  three  feet  high,  and  were 
possibly  once  surmounted  by  woodwork,  or,  j)erhaps, 
thatched  roofs.  All  the  houses  were  small,  generally 
only  ten  or  twelve  feet  square,  and  they  were  found  in 
clusters  scattered  over  the  summit  or  down  the  slopes 
of  a  hill.  On  one  summit  we  found  only  two  ground 
plans  in  close  proximity  to  each  other. 

The  stones  composing  the  walls  were  laid  with  some 
dexterity.  They  were  angular,  but  never  showed  any 
trace  of  dressing,  except,  perhaps,  by  fracture.  The 
interstices  between  the  main  stones  were  filled  in  with 
fragments  to  make  the  walls  solid.  Neither  here  nor 
in  any  other  stone  walls  that  we  saw  were  there  any  in- 
dications of  any  mud  or  other  plaster  coating  on  the 
stones. 

On  top  of  a  knoll  in  the  mountains  south  of  Nacori, 
at  an  elevation  of  4,800  feet,  well  preserved  remains  of 
this  kind  of  dwelling  were  seen.  The  house,  consist- 
ing of  but  one  room  about  ten  feet  square,  was  built 
of  large  blocks  of  lava.  The  largest  of  these  were  eigh- 
teen inches  long,  and  about  half  as  thick,  and  as  wide. 
The  walls  measured  about  three  feet  in  height  and 
one  foot  and  a  half  in  thickness,  and  there  was  a  suffi- 
cient amount  of  fallen  stone  debris  near-by  to  admit  of 
the  walls  having  been  once  four  or  five  feet  high. 
There  were  the  traces  of  a  doorway  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  building.  Numerous  fragments  of  coarse 
pottery  were  scattered  around,  some  gray  and  some  red, 
but  without  any  decoration,  except  a  fine  slip  coating 
on  the  red  fragments. 


44  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

In  the  Sierra  de  Nacori,  on  the  summit  of  a  steep 
knoll,  antl  at  an  elevation  of  about  6,500  feet,  we  found 
two  huts  of  such  hid-up  walls.  The  rough  felsite 
blocks  of  which  they  were  composed  were  surprisingly 
larsfe,  considering  the  diminutive  size  of  the  cabins. 
We  measured  the  largest  block  and  found  it  to  be  two 
feet  long,  ten  inches  wide,  and  eight  inches  thick. 
There  were  many  others  almost  as  large  as  this  one. 
But  there  was  only  one  tier  of  stones  left  complete 
in  place.  .Although  there  were  well-built  trincheras  in 
all  the  surrounding  arroyos,  there  were  no  traces  of  either 
tools  or  pottery  on  that  hill. 

On  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  de  Nacori,  on 
top  of  another  knoll,  and  at  an  elevation  of  6,400  feet, 
we  found  numerous  rude  ground  plans,  some  of  which 
showed  rubble  walls  fifteen  inches  thick.  They  formed 
groups  of  four  or  five  apartments,  each  ten  by  twelve 
feet.  But  on  the  north  side  of  that  summit  there  was  a 
larger  plan,  nearly  eighteen  feet  square  ;  however,  the 
outlines  of  the  entire  settlement  were  not  distinct  enough 
to  enable  us  to  trace  its  correct  outlines. 

Many  fragments  of  pottery  lay  about,  but  neither  in 
number  nor  in  interest  could  they  be  compared  with 
those  found  near  the  ruins  in  the  southwest  of  the  United 
States,  for  instance,  near  the  Gila  River.  Some  of  the 
potsherds  were  one-third  of  an  inch  thick,  and  large 
enough  to  show  that  they  had  been  parts  of  a  large  jar. 
They  were  made  of  coarse  paste,  either  gray  or  brown 
in  colour.  Some  had  a  kind  of  rude  finish,  the  marks  of 
a  coarse  fibre  cloth  being  clearly  discernible  on  the  out- 
side. Others  were  primitively  decorated  with  incisions. 
One  sherd  of  really  fine  thin  red  ware  was  picked  up, 
but  there  was  no  trace  of  ornamentation  on  it.  We 
found,  besides,  a  few  cores  oi  felsite  and  some  shapeless- 
flakes  and  several  fragments  of  large  metates. 


RUINS  45 

In  the  vallev  formed  between  the  mountains  on  the 
upper  Bavnspe  Ri\'er  we  met  with  very  many  such 
houses.  The  clusters  which  we  came  across  seemed  to 
have  been  composed  of  a  larger  number  of  houses.  Par- 
apets, also  built  of  undressed  stones  and  surrounding  these 
villag^es,  now  became  a  constant  feature.  Even  within 
sight  of  our  camp  was  such  a  parapet,  six  feet  high,  and 
house  ruins  were  near  by.  We  also  discovered  an  an- 
cient pueblo  consisting  of  thirty  houses,  all  of  the  usual 
small  dimensions,  but  not  all  alike  in  shape.  Some  were 
round,  others  triangular,  but  most  of  them  were  rectangu- 
lar, measuring  eight  by  ten  feet.  Along  two  sides  of  this 
village  ran  a  double  wall,  while  the  other  two  sides  were 
bound  by  a  single  wall  constructed  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple. Evidently  these  walls  were  built  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  people  in  time  of  war. 

About  five  miles  south  of  our  camping  place  the 
river  turns  eastward,  and  again  two  miles  below  this 
point  it  receives  a  tributary  from  the  west.  One  day  I 
followed  the  broken  cordon  on  its  eastern  bank,  then 
turned  north  and  ascended  an  isolated  mountain,  which 
rises  about  fifteen  hundred  feet  high  above  the  river. 
There  is  a  small  level  space  on  top,  and  on  this  there 
has  been  built,  at  some  time,  a  fortress  with  walls  of  un- 
dressed stones  from  two  to  six  feet  high  and  three  feet 
thick.  It  was  about  fifty  paces  long  in  one  direction, 
and  about  half  that  length  in  the  other.  Remains  of 
houses  could  be  traced,  and  inside  of  the  walls  themselves 
the  ground  plan  of  three  little  chambers  could  be  made 
out. 

On  the  Bavispe  River  we  photographed  a  trinchera 
which  was  about  eight  feet  high  and  thirty  feet  long  ; 
and  one  of  the  foremen  observed  one  which  was  at  least 
fifteen  feet  high. 

I   decided  to  move  the  camp  one  and  a  half  miles 


46  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

down  the  river,  and  to  its  right  bank,  on  a  cordon,  where 
Mason,  one  of  my  Mexican  foremen,  had  discovered 
some  ruins.  It  was  very  pleasant  here  after  the  rather 
cool  bottom  of  the  valley,  which  in  the  morning  was 
generally  covered  with  a  heavy  fog.  On  this  ridge  were 
many  traces  of  former  occujjancy,  parapet  walls  and 
rude  houses  divided  into  small  compartments.  The 
parapets  were  lying  along  the  north  and  south  faces  of 
the  houses,  and  just  on  the  brink  of  the  narrow  ridge. 
On  the  south  side  the  ridge  was  precipitous,  but  toward 
the  north  it  ran  out  in  a  gentle  shallow  slope  toward 
the  next  higher  hill.  The  building  material  here  is  a 
close-grained  felsite,  and  huge  fragments  of  it  have  been 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  parapets.  These  bould- 
ers were,  on  an  average,  thirty-five  inches  long,  twenty- 
five  inches  thick  and  fifteen  inches  wide ;  while  the 
stones  used  in  the  house  walls  measured,  on  the  aver- 
age, fourteen  by  nine  by  seven  inches. 

On  the  western  end  of  the  ridge  is  a  small  house 
group,  which,  for  convenience  sake,  I  will  designate  as 
"  Mason's  Ruins."  They  showed  a  decidedly  higher 
method  of  construction,  and  the  walls  were  better  pre- 
served, than  in  any  we  had  seen  so  far.  The  ground 
plans  could  be  readily  made  out,  except  in  a  small  part 
of  the  southwest  corner.  These  walls  stood  three  to  five 
feet  high,  and  the  stones  here  too  were  dressed  only  by 
fracture.  They  were  laid  in  gypsiferous  clay,  a  mass  of 
which  lay  close  to  the  southwest  corner.  This  clay  is 
very  similar  to  the  material  used  by  the  Moquis  in  whit- 
ening their  houses.  The  stones  themselves  were  felsite, 
which  abounds  in  the  locality.  The  blocks  have  an  aver- 
age size  of  twelve  inches  square  by  six  inches  thick.  It 
should  be  noted  that  no  regard  was  paid  to  the  tying  of 
the  corners  and  the  partition  walls  ;  but  considerable 
care  had  been  taken  in  makinir  the  walls  vertical,  and 


X 


6 

u 


DIFFICULTIES    ON    THE    MARCH  49 

the  angles  were  faiii\-  true.  The  walls  were  almost 
twelve  iiiehes  thiek,  and  on  the  inner  side  they  had  evi- 
dently never  l)een  plastered. 

Being  coated  with  some  white  plaster,  these  ruins 
look  white  at  a  distance,  and  the  Mexicans  therefore 
called  them  casas  d/aucas.  I  heard  of  an  extensive  group 
of  such  buildings  near  Sahuaripa,  and  there  are  also 
some  ruins  of  this  categorv  near  Granados,  and  in  the 
hills  east  of  Opoto.  Undoubtedlv  they  belong  to  a 
more  recent  period  than  the  rude  stone  structures  de- 
scribed l)efore.  Most  of  the  ancient  remains  of  the 
Sierra  are  remnants  of  tribes  that  expanded  here  from 
the  lowdands,  and  only  in  comparatively  recent  times 
have  disappeared.  I  also  perceived  that  they  were  built 
b}'  a  tribe  of  Indians  different  from  those  which  erected 
the  houses  in  the  caves  of  the  eastern  and  northern 
Sierra  Madre,  and  in  the  country  east  of  it,  and  may 
safely  be  ascribed  to  Opatas. 

In  spite  of  the  rest  here,  the  animals  did  not  seem  to 
imj)rove  on  the  grama  and  buffalo  grass.  It  was  rather 
perplexing  to  note  that  they  grew  weaker  and  weaker. 
The  grass  of  the  sierra,  which  was  now  gray,  did  not 
seem  to  contain  much  nourishment,  and  it  became  evi- 
dent that  the  sooner  we  proceeded  on  our  journev,  the 
better.  To  save  them  as  much  as  possible,  w^e  loaded 
only  half  the  regular  weight  on  the  mules  and  donkeys, 
and  sent  them  back  the  next  day  to  fetch  the  balance  of 
the  baggage.  In  this  way,  and  by  strengthening  the 
poor  beasts  with  a  judicious  use  of  corn,  I  managed  to 
pull  through  and  overcome  this  most  serious  of  all 
difficulties,  which,  at  one  time,  threatened  to  paralyse 
the  entire  expedition. 

On  December  31st  we  moved  up  a  steep  zigzag  trail 
cut  out  bv  us,  and  then  went  north  and  east  through 
broken  foot-hills.     We  got  into  a  series  of  cordon  mesas, 

Vol..  I.— 4 


so  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

but  the  breaks  between  them  weie  nul  at  all  difficult  to 
pass.  On  the  mountain  sides  grew  oaks  and,  higher 
up,  pines. 

The  country  was  wild  and  rugged.  Everywhere  we 
encountered  fallen  rocks,  and  there  was  a  scarcity  of 
water.  It  was  a  kind  of  comfort  to  see  now  and  then 
some  trincheras  in  these  desolate  regions.  At  four 
o'clock  we  camped  on  a  steep  place  amidst  poor  grass, 
and  only  a  trickling  of  water  in  the  bed  of  a  little  rill. 

Here,  at  last,  the  men  w^hom  I  had  sent  to  Nacori  for 
provisions  overtook  us,  bringing  eighteen  dollars'  worth 
of  panoche,  and  two  and  a  quarter  fanegas  of  pinole. 
Measuring  by  fanegas  was  then  still  in  vogue  in  Mexico  ; 
a  fanega  equals  about  sixty-four  kilograms. 

This,  the  messengers  stated,  was  all  that  the  women 
would  grind  for  us.  Twenty  of  them  had  been  set  to 
work  to  fill  our  order,  and  when  they  had  laboured  until 
their  hands  were  tired,  they  declared  they  would  grind 
no  more  ;  and  if  the  caballeros  in  the  mountains  wanted 
further  quantities,  they  should  come  and  make  mills  of 
themselves.  From  this  we  judged  that  their  tempers 
had  risen  in  proportion  to  the  heaps  of  pinole  they  were 
producing,  and  that  they  did  not  bless  the  day  when  we 
had  come  into  their  peaceful  valley,  since  it  meant  so 
much  hard  work  for  them. 

Though  we  were  now  provisioned  for  some  time  to 
come,  I  was  anxiously  looking  forward  to  the  day  when 
we  should  reach  the  eastern  side  of  the  sierra.  The 
animals  were  rapidly  giving  out,  and  it  was  the  opinion 
of  the  packers  that  they  could  not  last  longer  than  a 
week  ;  but  what  little  corn  we  could  spare  for  them  each 
day  worked  wonders,  and  in  this  way  we  enabled  them 
to  carry  us  through. 

The  most  noticeable  among  the  plants  in  the  valleys 
was  the  madrona  or  strawberry  tree  (^Arbutus  Texand) 


A    DESERTED   CAMP 


51 


growing  singly  here  and  there.  Its  beautiful  stem  and 
branches,  ash-grey  and  blood-red,  are  oddly  twisted 
from  the  root  to  the  top.  Now  and  then,  in  this  world 
of  pine  trees,  we  came  upon  patches  of  grama  grass. 
We  also  observed  pinon  trees,  a  variety  of  pine  with 
edible  seeds. 

Apache  monuments  were  plentiful  in  this  part  of  the 
sierra,  and  after  four  days  of  travel,  on  January  5,  1891, 


1.-.  t  \(fp.   f  jr  ;    IJ^ 


Bringing  in  Deer. 


we  arrived  at  an  old  Apache  camping  place,  called  by  the 
Mexicans  "  Rancheria  de  los  Apaches."  It  was  a  shel- 
tered place,  and  we  decided  to  stop  again  and  rest,  as 
now  we  could  not  be  very  far  from  the  Mormon  colonies 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  sierra.  We  had,  on  the  day 
before,  heard  a  shot,  which  had  not  been  fired  by  any- 
one of  our  party,  and  we  had  met  some  short-horn  cat- 
tle that  must  have  belonged  to  some  settlers. 

We  halted  on  a  bare  conglomerate  scalp  near  a  little 


52  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

creek,  which  \vc  called  "  Bonito,"  and  which  shurtlv 
below  our  camp  joins  the  Gabilan,  an  affluent  of  the 
l^a\isj)c  I'iiver  which  probably  has  its  origin  near  Chu- 
huichupa.  The  elevation  of  our  camp  was  6,620  feet. 
The  summit  of  the  sierra  toward  the  east  appeared  to 
be  2,000  feet  high,  and  the  tirst  ridge,  at  the  foot  of 
which  we  camj)ed.  rises  here  almost  })erpendicularlv 
about  a  thousand  feet.  The  little  stream  alread\'  men- 
tioned originates  in  a  deep  caiion  and  adjoining  it  are 
four  large  cordons  descending  from  the  ridge  east  of  us 
and  spreading  themselves  out  like  a  gigantic  fan,  which 
we  had  noticed  from  some  distance  on  the  previous  day. 
From  our  camp  led  a  track  eastward,  up  along  one  of 
these  cordons,  and  a  reconnoitring  party  found  a  Mor- 
mon settlement  ten  or  twelve  miles  off. 

The  day  after  our  arrival  I  went  out  to  take  a  look 
at  the  country.  South  of  us,  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  camp,  I  found  patches  of  fertile  black  soil  partly 
cultivated  with  corn  and  turnips  that  did  not  appear  to 
be  flourishing,  and  with  potatoes  which  were  doing  well. 
An  old  horse  stood  there,  and  I  also  noticed  a  small  tent. 
Going  up  closer  I  found  a  plough  standing  outside. 
This  made  quite  a  queer  impression  in  these  solitary 
mountains,  but  the  implement  was  apparently  not  out  of 
place,  judging  from  the  beautiful  black  soil  near-by.  In 
the  tent  I  saw  a  heap  of  bed-clothes  piled  up  on  some 
tin  pails,  and  there  were  also  some  pots  with  potatoes 
and  corn.  The  owner  of  all  this  was  not  at  home  ;  but 
the  atmosphere  was  American,  not  Mexican.  I  had  evi- 
dently come  u{)on  an  outpost  of  one  of  the  Mormon 
colonies. 

Throughout  January  the  days  continued  to  be  fine, 
though  at  times  a  southerly  cold  wind  was  blowing  ;  but 
at  night  it  was  cold  and  the  water  in  our  buckets  was 
often  frozen.     Then  we  felt  what  a  real  comfort  a  large 


FISHING    WITH    DYNAMITE 


53 


camp-fire  is.  Before  sundown  we  would  gather  the 
fallen  trees  and  such  sorts  of  wood,  and  roarinsf  fires 
were  built  in  front  of  each  tent.  The  smoke,  to  be 
sure,  blackened  our  faces,  but  the  lire  made  the  tents 
wonderfully  comfortable,  filling  them  with  light  and 
warmth.      For  beds  we  used  fragrant  pine  boughs. 

We  also  had  several  falls  of  snow,  the  heaviest  two 
and  a  half  inches,  and  on  the  coldest  night,  on  January 
loth,  the  thermometer  went  down  to  6°  F.  As  the  rays 
of  the  sun  partly  melted  the  snow  in  the  course  of  the 
day,  the  animals  could  at  least  get  a  meagre  meal.  On 
January  15th  a  cup  of  water  froze  inside  of  my  tent,  but 
during  the  day  we  had  57°  F. 

We  soon  found  out  that  in  the  river  Gabilan,  some 
four  miles  south  of  our  camp,  there  were  immense  quan- 
tities of  fish,  which  had  come  up  to  spawn.  No  one 
ever  interfered  with  them,  and  their  number  was  simply 
overwhelming.  As  the  task  of  feeding  thirty  men  in 
these  wild  regions  was  by  no  means  a  trifling  one,  I  re- 
solved to  procure  as  many  fish  as  possible,  and  to  this 
end  resorted  to  the  cruel  but  effective  device  of  killing 
them  by  dynamite.  I  trust  that  the  scarcity  of  provi- 
sions in  the  camp  will  serve  as  my  excuse  to  sportsmen 
for  the  method  I  employed.  We  used  a  stick  of  dyna- 
mite six  inches  long,  and  it  raised  a  column  of  water 
twenty  feet  in  the  air,  while  the  detonation  sounded  like 
a  salute,  rolling  from  peak  to  peak  for  miles  around.  In 
two  hours  three  of  us  gathered  195  fish  from  a  single 
pool.  Most  of  them  were  big  suckers  ;  but  we  had  also 
thirty-five  large  Gila  trout.  All  were  fat  and  of  delicate 
flavour,  and  lasted  us  quite  a  long  time. 

Never  have  I  been  at  anv  j)lace  where  deer  were  so 
plentiful.  Almost  at  every  turn  one  of  them  might  be 
seen,  sometimes  standing  as  if  studying  your  method  of 
approach.     I   sent  out  five   men  to  go  shooting  in  the 


54 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


northwesterly  direction  from  the  cam|>,  and  after  a  day 
and  a  half  they  returned  with  ten  deer.  At  one  time  we 
had  fifteen  hanging  in  the  kitchen. 

One  morning  our  best  marksman,  a  Mexican  named 
Figueroa,  brought  in  three  specimens  of  that  superb 
bird,  caiupcpJulns  impcrialis,  the  largest  woodpecker  in 

the    world.     This 
i^  splendid    member 

of  the  feathered 
tribe  is  two  feet 
long  ;  its  j)lumage 
is  white  and  black, 
and  the  male  is  or- 
namented with  a 
gorgeous  scarlet 
crest,  which  seemed 
especially  brilliant 
against  the  winter 
snow.  The  birds 
go  in  pairs  and  are 
not  very  shy,  but 
are  difficult  to  kill 
and  have  to  be  shot 
with  rifle.  One  of 
their  peculiarities  is 
that   they  feed   on 

The  Largest  Woodpecker  in  the  World.  '.  , 

one  tree  for  as  long 
as  a  fortnight  at  a  time,  at  last  causing  the  decayed 
tree  to  fall.  The  birds  are  exceedingly  rare  in  the 
museums.  They  are  only  found  in  the  Sierra  Madre. 
On  my  journeys  I  saw  them  as  far  south  as  the 
southernmost  point  which  the  Sierra  Madre  del  Norte 
reaches  in  the  State  of  Jalisco,  above  the  Rio  de  San- 
tiago. 1  frequently  observed  them  also  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  range. 


MORMON    SETTLERS  55 

Here,  too,  a  great  many  s|)ecimens  of  the  rare  Mexi- 
can titmouse  and  some  beautiful  varieties  of  the  duek 
tribe  were  procured. 

A  few  days  after  our  arrival  at  the  Raneheria  de 
los  Apaches,  Professor  Libbey  left  our  camp,  return- 
inii;  to  the  United  States  bv  wav  of  Casas  Grandes. 
After  bidding  him  good-bye,  I  made  an  excursion  of 
a  week's  duration  to  the  north  of  our  camp,  to  look 
for  possible  antiquities,  especially  a  casa  blanca,  of 
which  I  had  heard  considerable  from  the  people  in 
Nacori. 

The  woods,  considering  that  it  was  midwinter,  were 
quite  lively  with  birds.  Everywhere  I  saw  bluejays ; 
crested  titmice,  too,  were  plentiful,  as  well  as  cross- 
beaks.  A  large  yellowish  squirrel  also  attracted  my  atten- 
tion. It  was  of  the  same  kind  as  that  recently  found  by 
our  expedition.  The  country  was  hilly  and  full  of  small 
canons,  and  well  watered  by  springs.  Outcroppings  of 
solidified  volcanic  ash  looked  in  the  distance  like  white 
patches  in  the  landscape.  We  searched  diligently  for 
some  twenty-five  miles  to  the  north  of  the  main  camp, 
and  also  toward  the  east  and  west,  but  no  trace  of 
former  habitation  was  found-  except  trincheras  and 
house  ruins  such  as  we  had  seen  before.  Near  one  of 
the  group  of  houses  I  saw  three  metates  in  an  excellent 
state  of  preservation. 

While  out  on  this  trip  I  was  one  day  surprised  by  the 
appearance  of  a  Mormon  in  my  camp.  It  was  really  a 
pleasure  to  see  someone  from  the  outside  world  again  ; 
and  this  was  a  frank  and  intelligent  man,  very  pleasant 
to  talk  to.  He  told  me  that  he  had  never  been  farther 
north  than  where  he  was  now  ;  nor  had  he  ever  been 
farther  west  than  the  little  creek  about  two  miles  west 
of  the  place  where  he  met  me,  which  he  called  the 
"  Golden  Gulch."     This  creek    probably    originates  in 


56  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

the  mountains  near  bv  ;  there  was  still  another  creek 
west  of  us  which  joined  the  Golden  Gulch  near  the 
Mormon's  tent,  and  this  he  called  "  North  Creek."  The 
ranch  near  our  main  camp  he  had  taken  up  only  about 
three  years  ago,  and  he  considered  agriculture  in  this 
region  successful,  especially  with  potatoes.  Maize,  too, 
may  also  ripen.  Furthermore,  he  told  me  of  some  in- 
teresting cave  dwellings  near  the  Mormon  settlement  on 
the  eastern  edge  of  the  sierra,  which  I  decided  to  inves- 
tigate. 

When  the  Mormons  had  come  to  colonise  parts  of 
northern  Mexico,  an  American  called  "  Apache  Bill," 
who  had  lived  for  a  number  of  years  with  the  Apaches, 
told  them  of  a  large,  fertile  valley  showing  many  evi- 
dences of  former  cultivation.  Probably  he  referred  to  a 
locality  that  had  once  been  inhabited  by  a  remnant  of 
the  Opata  Indians,  who  had  become  christianised  and 
had  received  fruit  trees  from  the  missionaries.  The  trees, 
when  found,  were  said  to  be  still  bearing  fruit,  while  the 
people  had  vanished — having  probably  been  killed  off 
by  the  Apaches. 

I  returned  to  the  main  camp,  leaving,  however,  two 
men  behind  to  search  still  further  for  the  casa  blanca. 
When  they  returned  after  a  few  days,  they  reported  that 
nothing  could  be  found,  and  that  the  country  was  diffi- 
cult of  access.  On  my  return  I  found  the  men  who 
had  gone  to  Casas  Grandes  back  already,  bringing  with 
them  some  provisions  and  the  first  mail  for  three 
months. 

Two  miles  east  of  our  camp  obsidian  was  found  in 
situ.  It  was  not  in  the  natural  flow,  but  in  round, 
water-worn  pebbles  deposited  in  the  conglomerate. 
Many  of  these  had  been  washed  out  and  had  rolled 
down  the  hill,  where  a  bushel  of  them  might  be  col- 
lected  in   a   few   hours.     The   outcrop  does  not  extend 


CAVE    VALLEY  ^■] 

over  a  lar^c  area,  only  about  two  lumdrcd  yards  on  one 
side  of  the  bank. 

On  January  2 2d  1  started  eastward  toward  the 
Mormon  settlement,  passing  the  watershed  at  a 
height  of  8,025  feet.  After  fifteen  miles  of  travel 
we  arrived  at  the  Mormon  eolony  ealled  Pacheeo, 
and  situated  on  the  Piedras  Verdes  River.  It  con- 
sists of  small  wooden  houses  lying  peacefully  on  the 
slope,  surrounded  by  pine  forests,  at  an  elevation  of 
seven  thousand  feet.  A  saw-mill  bore  evidence  of  in- 
dustry. There  were  sixteen  families  living  here,  and  as 
we  arrived  some  eighty  children  were  just  streaming  out 
of  school.  Near  by  stood  a  kindly  looking  old  man, 
possibly  their  teacher.  The  children,  who  ranged  in 
age  from  seven  to  eighteen  years,  were  all  studying  in 
one  class.  They  showed  remarkably  varied  physiogno- 
mies, yet  all  looked  healthy  and  sturdy,  and  were  de- 
mure and  well-behaved. 

We  made  camp  one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  village, 
and  in  the  evening  we  were  visited  by  my  friend  from 
the  sierra  and  another  Mormon.  Both  expressed  their 
readiness  to  serve  us  in  every  way  they  could  ;  we 
bought  some  potatoes  and  half  a  hog. 

As  is  the  custom  with  the  Mormons,  they  have 
several  colonies  outlying  from  a  central  one.  Among 
these  is  Cave  Valley,  about  five  miles  east  to  north  from 
Pacheeo,  immediately  upon  the  river  already  mentioned. 
On  the  following  day  I  went  there  with  the  scientific 
corps  to  examine  the  cave  dwellings  of  which  the  Mor- 
mons had  been  speaking.  The  settlement  (having  an 
elevation  6,850  feet)  consisted  of  eight  houses.  Knock- 
ing on  the  door  of  one  of  these  I  w^alked  in,  introduced 
myself,  and  stated  the  purpose  of  my  visit.  "  How  do 
you  do  ?  "  said  my  host ;  "  my  name  is  Nelson" — as  if 
he  had  been  accustomed  to  receive  strangers  every  day. 


58 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


Mr.  Nelson  was  quite  a  charming  old  man,  more 
tlian  seventy  years  old,  but  liardy.  In  spite  of  the  cold, 
he  walked  out  in  his  sliirt  sleeves  in  the  full  moonlicrht 
to  select  a  camping  phice  for  me.  The  animals,  he  sug- 
e^ested,  miofht  be  left  in  the  field  for  the  niijht ;  he 
would  see   about  them  in  the  morning,  and  he  did  not 

think  there  would  be 
any  difificulty  about 
keeping  them  there. 
We  got  a  fine  camp 
on  top  of  a  hill  with 
a  view  of  the  valley 
in  which  the  caves 
are. 

Mr.  Nelson  told 
us  of  two  interesting 
caves  on  this  side  of 
the  river ;  also,  that 
there  were  numerous 
"inscriptions"  (pet- 
roglyphs),  that  the 
country  was  full  of 
mounds,  and  that 
skeletons  and  mum- 
mies had  been  found 
but  had  been  buried 
again.  From  his 
statement  it  was  evi- 
dent that  we  had  a 
rich  field  before  us, 
and  the  results  of  the  following  day  more  than  came  up 
to  our  ex])ectations. 

The  old  man,  acting  as  our  guide,  showed  us  on  the 
way  to  the  valley  a  primitive  kind  of  corn-mill  driven  by 
water  power,  and  with  some  pride  he  pointed  out  to  us 


v^^^* 


Distant  View  of  Cupola-shaped  Granary 
in  Cave. 


FIRST   DISCOVERIES  59 

an  "infant  industrv,"  the  product  of  which  so  far  was  a 
dozen  wooden  chairs  with  seats  of  interwoven  strips  of 
green  hide,  instead  of  cane. 

A  number  of  cavx^s  were  found  to  contain  houses. 
One  of  them  especiallv^  made  a  great  impression  on  us 
on  account  of  an  extraordinary  cupohi-shaped  structure, 
which  from  a  considerable  distance  sprang  into  view 
from  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  Most  of  the  caves  were 
found  on  the  western  side  of  the  river  ;  but  there  were 
also  some  on  the  eastern  bank,  among  them  a  number 
of  burial  caves.  In  one  of  the  latter  a  well-preserved 
mummy  was  shown  to  us.  It  had  already  been  taken  up 
two  or  three  times  to  be  looked  at  ;  but  our  guide  in- 
timated that  the  influential  Mormons  in  Utah  did  not 
want  to  have  the  skeletons  and  caves  disturbed.  I  there- 
fore left  it  for  the  present,  but  thought  that  in  time  we 
might  get  this,  with  whatever  others  might  be  found 
there. 

I  was  introduced  to  a  Mormon  in  the  neighbourhood, 
who  invited  me  to  excavate  a  large  mound  close  to  his 
house.  He  would  even  help  to  dig,  he  said,  and  I  was  free 
to  take  whatever  I  might  find  inside  of  it.  He  was  sure 
that  there  would  be  no  difficulty  about  the  mummies  I 
might  want  to  remove  from  the  burial  caves. 


CHAPTER    IV 

A    SPLENDID    FIELD    PREPARED     FOR    US    BY    THE    ANCIENT    AGRICU:.- 

TURISTS    OF    CAVE    VALLEY HOUSE    GROUPS     IN     CAVES     ALONG 

A     PRETTY      STREAM  WELL-PRESERVED      MUMMIES      FOUND     IN 

CAVES MORE  TRINCHERAS OUR    EXCAVATIONS    IN    CAVES    AND 

MOUNDS    CONFIRM   TO    THE    MORMONS    THEIR    SACRED    STORIES 

WE     MOVE     TO     THE     PLAINS     OF    SAN     DIEGO VISIT     TO     CASAS 

GRANDES   AND  THE   WATCH-TOWER — SUCCESSFUL    EXCAVATIONS 
OF    THE    MOUNDS    NEAR    SAN    DIEGO. 

FINDING  the  locality  so  inviting  for  research,  I  de- 
cided to  remain  here,  returnino;  to  Pacheco  only 
to  despatch  the  rest  of  my  party  to  make  excavations  at 
the  ranch  of  San  Diego,  thirty  miles  to  the  east,  down 
on  the  plains  of  Chihuahua,  The  ranch  was  temporarily 
leased  by  an  American,  Mr.  Galvin,  who  received  my 
expedition  hospitably,  and  invited  the  members  to  re- 
main as  long  as  they  pleased  and  to  make  excavations 
wherever  they  wanted. 

Cave  Valley  is  the  widening  of  a  long,  low-walled 
canon  through  which  the  Piedras  Verdes  River  flows. 
As  its  name  implies,  it  contains  many  caves  in  the  felsitic 
conglomerate  overlying  the  region.  It  is  from  one- 
quarter  to  half  a  mile  wide,  and  iias  a  tine,  rich,  loamy 
soil.  The  stream  is  ten  to  twenty  feet  wide  and  from 
one  to  three  feet  deep.  Fine  forests  of  pine,  oak,  cedar, 
and  maple  surround  it,  and  make  it  an  ideal  dwelling- 
place  for  a  peaceful,  ])rimiti\c  jocoplc. 

The  little  knoll  on  which  we  were  encamped  rises  on 
the  north  side  of  a  brook  which  empties  itself  in  the 
river.  It  was  in  equally  close  proximity  to  the  dwellings 
of  the  living  and  the  dweUings  of  the  dead. 


CA\  E    HOUSES  (u 


Up  tlic  main  stream,  on  the  western  wall  of  the 
canon,  and  about  a  mile  from  our  camp,  is  a  large  cave 
containing-  the  curious  cuj)ola-shaped  structure  already 
mentioned.      The  cave  is  easy  of  approach  up  a  sloping- 


Single  Wall  in  ClifF. 


bank  from  its  south  side,  and  arriving  at  it  we  found  it 
quite  commodious  and  snug.  It  is  about  eighty  feet 
wide  at  its  mouth,  and  about  a  hundred  feet  deep.  In 
the  central  part  it  is  almost  eighteen  feet  high,  but  the 
roof  graduallv  slopes  down  in  the  rear  to  half  that 
height. 

A  little  village,  or  cluster  of  houses,  lies  at  its  back 
and  sides.  The  interior  of  most  of  the  rooms  must  have 
been  quite  dark,  though  the  light  reaches  the  outside  of 
all  the  houses.  The  walls  are  still  standing  about  six 
feet  high.  The  compartments,  though  small,  are  seldom 
kennel-like.     Some  of  the   houses  have  shallow  cellars. 


62 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


The  roof  of  the  cave  was  thickly  smoked  over  its  entire 
surface.  From  traces  of  walls  still  remaining  on  it,  we 
may  infer  that  a  second  story  had  been  built  toward  the 
centre  of  the  cave,  though  this  could  only  have  been  five 
feet  high.  These  traces  of  walls  on  the  roof  further 
prove  the  important  fact  that  this  second  story  had  been 


Ground  Plan  of  House  Groups  in  Granary  Cave. 

built   in  terrace-fashion,  receding  about  four  feet   back 
from  the  front  of  the  ground  story. 

The  cave  had  evidently  been  occupied  for  a  very  long 
time,  the  houses  showing  many  alterations  and  additions, 
and  on  the  walls  I  counted  as  many  as  twelve  coatings  of 
plaster  and  whitewash.  The  conventional  design  of  the 
ear  of  corn  is  well  preserved  in  every  doorway.  Rude 
scrawlings  of  soot   and  water  cover  nearly  all  the  front 


A    SINGULAR    STRUCTURE  63 

walls,  mixed  here  and  there  with  a  few  traces  of  red 
ochre.  There  are  meander  designs,  lightning;,  and 
drawings  of  cows  and  horses  ;  but  the  latter  were  doubt- 
less put  on  after  the  walls  were  demolished,  and  their 
general  appearance  denotes  recentness. 

Several  of  the  cyelopean  riffles  lead  from  the  cave 
cliff  to  the  stream. 

The  houses  here,  as  well  as  in  all  other  caves  we  ex- 
amined, were  built  entirely  of  a  powdery  substance,  the 
decomposed  material  of  the  cave  itself.  Great  quantities 
of  it  were  found  on  the  tloors  of  caves  which  had  not 
been  occupied  by  marr.  It  is  not  of  a  sandy  nature,  and 
its  colour  is  light  brown,  sometimes  almost  grey,  or  even 
white.  The  ancient  builders  simply  had  to  mix  it  with 
water  and  mould  it  into  bricks,  which,  though  fairly  uni- 
form in  thickness,  were  very  irregular  in  size.  There 
were  no  marks  of  implements  on  the  walls ;  all  the  work 
seems  to  have  been  done  by  hand  and  smoothed  over 
with  some  wetted  fabric.  In  one  cave  of  this  valley 
the  walls  show  finger-marks  on  the  plaster.  Occasion- 
ally we  found  a  small  boulder  of  hard  stone  embedded  in 
the  wall. 

The  most  unique  feature  of  this  cave,  however,  is  the 
cupola-shaped  structure  which  stands  in  an  open  space 
in  front  of  the  house  group,  near  the  mouth  of  the  cave, 
but  still  under  its  roof.  Its  height,  measured  inside,  is 
twelve  feet,  and  its  widest  inside  diameter  is  eleven 
feet.  Its  walls  average  eight  inches  in  thickness.  It 
has  one  aperture  three  feet  wide  at  the  top.,  another  one 
of  the  same  dimension  near  the  base,  and  there  are 
several  others  nearly  opposite  each  other.  In  the  two 
upper  ones  are  seen  distinct  impressions  of  timber  in 
the  plaster. 

The  building  was  made  by  twisting  long  grass  into 
a  compact  cable  and  laying   it  up,  one  round  upon  an- 


6^ 


UNKNOWxX    MEXICO 


other.  As  the  coil  proceeded,  thick  coats  of  plaster 
were  laid  on  inside  and  outside.  This  plaster,  which  is 
the  same  material  as  that  of  which  the  houses  are  con- 
structed, got  thorouijhlv  mixed  with  the  straw  during 
the  process  of  building,  and  the  entire  structure  was 
finished  without  any  opening  except  the  one  at  the  top. 
The  other  apertures  were  undoubtedly   cut    out    after- 


Cupola-shaped  Granary  in  Cave. 

ward.  There  is  no  trace  of  withes  or  other  binding 
material  to  hold  the  straw  cables  in  place.  They  are 
kept  in  position  only  by  the  plaster,  which  here,  as  in 
the  houses,  is  almost  as  hard  as  the  conglomerate  of  the 
surrounding  rocks. 

My  Mexicans  from  Sonora  called  it  olla,  a  jar,  and 
insisted  that  it  was  a  vessel  used  for  keeping  water ;  but 
this  is  entirely  improbable,  for  several  reasons,  mainly 
because  the  river  is  in  close  proximity  and  easy  of  ac- 


GRANARIES 


'"'5 


cess.  It  was  without  the  sli,2:htest  doubt  a  granary. 
Similar  structures,  used  for  that  purpose  to  the  present 
day,  may  be  seen  in  the  States  of  Vera  Cruz  and  Tlax- 


Granary  in  Tlaxcala. 

cala.  In  a  cave  only  a  short  distance  away,  the  rear 
portion  of  which  also  contained  a  group  of  houses,  we 
found  between  the  mouth  of  the  cave   and  the  house 


^it^'^^Ji^iiS 


Ba,-'^.-'  i/i  Cjiawaii^:-  .ii   La.^. 


walls  the  remains  of  five  of  these  peculiar  buildings 
which  I  call  granaries.  They,  too,  were  made  of  straw 
and  plaster,  similar  to  the  one  described,  but  the  walls 

Vol.  I.— 5 


66 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


here  were  only  two  inches  thick.  The  remains  showed 
that  they  had  not  been  set  up  in  any  special  arrange- 
ment, nor  were  all  five  alike.  Two  of  them  were  deeply 
sunken  into  the  floor  of  the  cave,  and  inside  of  them  we 


Boof  of  Oave  11'  above  floor 
in  rear  of  Wall. 

Door  -2'  6" 


ENTRANCE  TO   CAVE 


Ground  Plan  of  House  Groups  in  Cave  on  East  Side  of  the  River. 

found,  between  the  rubbish  and  debris  that  filled  them, 
several  grains  of  corn  and  some  beans. 

The  other  caves  which  we  examined  in  this  valley 
were  of  the  same  general  character  as  these  two,  al- 
though we  found  no  granaries  in  them.     On  this  page 


ANCIKNT    IMPLEMENTS 


(V 


is  shown  the  ^iDuncl  plan  of  a  cave  on  the  cast  side  of 
the  river,  and  attention  is  drawn  to  the  sin_i>;ular  concrete 
seats  or  blocks  against  the  wall  in  the  house  on  the  west 
side  of  the  cave.  A  tloor  of  concrete  had  been  made 
in  this  cave  extendins^  inward  and  fairly  level. 

Evidence  of  two-storeyed  groups  of  houses  was  clearly 
noticeable  in  many  caves;  but  our  investi^^ations  were 
somewhat  impeded  by  the  destruction  wrought  by  some 
Mormon  relic-hunter,  who  had  carried  off  ahnost  every- 
thing removable.      He   had  even  taken  aw^ay  many  of 


Sandal  Plaited  from  Yucca  Leaves.    Heel  is  Shown  on  Left.    Length,  2  i  ctm. 

the  door  lintels  and  hand-grips,  in  fact,  most  of  the 
woodwork,  from  the  houses. 

In  the  rear  of  some  of  the  caves  it  was  so  dark  that 
we  had  to  light  a  candle  to  find  our  way,  crawling  from 
house  to  house.  In  one  instance  we  found  a  stone 
stairway  of  three  steps. 

In  spite  of  the  tremendous  dust  which  is  raised  by 
digging  into  the  ground,  and  which  makes  the  w^ork 
very  arduous,  we  searched  diligently  and  succeeded  in 
bringing  to  light  a  number  of  objects  which  fairly  well 
illustrate   the  culture  of    the  ancient    people.      Among 


68 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


Heel  of  a  Sandal,  Showing  Plaiting. 


them  were  needles  and  awls  of  bone  ;  a  complete   fire 
drill  with  a  stick  showing  drilling,  basketry  work  covered 

with  pinon  pith,  mats  and 
girdles,  threads  of  fibre  or 
hair,  and  sandals  plaited  of 
yucca  leaves.  Wads  of  cotton 
and  pieces  of  pottery  were 
found  in  many  places ;  and 
an  interesting  find  was  a 
"boomerang"  similar  to  that 
used  to  this  day  by  the  Moqui 
Indians  for  killing  rabbits. 
The  handle  is  plainly  seen, 
but  the  top  is  broken.  The  implement,  which 
is  made  of  very  hard,  reddish  wood,  has  but  a 
slight  curve.  We  discovered  many  smooth 
pieces  of  iron  ore  that  had  probably  been  used 
for  ceremonial  purposes,  and  a  bow  that  had 
been  hidden  away  on  a  ledge. 

That  the  ancient  cave-dwellers  were  agri- 
culturists is  evident  from  the  numerous  corn- 
cobs, as  well  as  grains  of  corn  and  beans,  that 
we  came  upon.  Datems,  a  green,  sweet  fruit 
still  eaten  by  the  Mexicans,  were  identified 
everywhere  in  the  cave-dwellings. 

Having  effectually  started  the  work  of  in- 
vestigation here,  I  went  to  look  after  the  sec- 
ond section  of  my  expedition,  which  had  been 


sent  to  San   Diego.      I  covered  the  thirty-five 


Piece  of 

Wood 

Showing 


miles  with  four  jxack  mules  in  one  day.     There 

is  a  charming  view  from  the  brow  of  the  sierra  Drill  Mark. 

over  the  ))lains  of  San   Die2:o,  which  are  fullv     ^^"g^'^' 

•1-1  r  i'  1-  1        '       22.  5  ctm. 

ten  miles  wide  ;  but  after  descendmg  to  them 
I  found  a  hard,  cold  wind  blowing.     The  weather  here 
is  not  at  all  as  pleasant  as  in  the  sheltered  Cave  Valley 
up  in  the  mountains. 


EXCAVATIONS 


69 


.lit: 


'V 


I  went  to  Casas  Granclcs,  a  village  of  1,200  souls, 
six  miles  north  of  San  Die<>o,  and  sueceeded  in  orettinsf 
a  draft  cashed.  On  learning"  that  Mr.  Moses  Thatcher, 
a  prominent  Mormon  apostle  from  Utah,  was 
on  a  tour  of  ins})ection  of  the  colonies,  I  pro- 
ceeded to  Colon ia  Juarez,  a  prosperous  Mor- 
mon settlement  on  the  Piedras  Verdes  River, 
ten  miles  from  Casas  Grandes  and  six  miles 
from  San  Diego.  It  was  onlv  four  years  old, 
but  had  already  a  number  of  well  laid-out 
broad  streets,  set  on  both  sides  with  cotton- 
wood  trees,  and  all  the  houses  were  surrounded 
by  gardens.  I  explained  to  Mr.  Thatcher  that 
I  desired  to  make  excava- 
tions in  Cave  Valley,  and 
he  courteously  acceded  to 
my  wishes,  adding  that  I 
might  take  away  anything 
of  interest  to  science. 

To  reduce    expenses,    I 
paid  off  many  of  my  Mexi- 
can men,  who  then  returned 
to  their  homes   in   Sonora, 
going  over  the  sierra  by  the 
trail  we  had  made  in  coming 
east.     A   few  months  later 
several    of    them    returned, 
bringing  others  with  them, 
and  asked  to  work  again  in    implement 
the  camp,  which  remained    for  Throw 
in  San  Dieijo  for  about  nine  months  lonofer — 
long  enough  for  us  to  see  quite  a  little  trade  in 
oranges,  sugar,  tobacco,  etc.,  developing  between  Sonora 
and  Chihuahua  by  way  of  the  road  cut  out  by  us,  and 
called,  after  me,  e/  camino  del  doctor. 


w 


Pendant  ot  Wood. 
Length,  14  ctm. 


ing.  Length, 
67  ctm. 


70  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Excavations  in  Cave  X'^alley  were  continued,  and  the 
burial  caves  gave  even  better  results  than  the  cave-dwell- 
inijs.  Thev  were  located  in  the  eastern  side  of  the 
canon,  which  is  rarely  touched  In-  the  sun's  ravs.      With 


Burial  Caves  in  Cave  Vallev. 

one  exce])tion  the  ceilings  and  sides  of  these  caves  were 
much  blackened  by  smoke.  There  was  not  the  slightest 
trace  of  house  walls,  and  no  other  sign  that  the  place  had 
ever  been  inhabited  ;  therefore,  a  hre  here  could  have 
had  no  other  purpose  than  a  religious  one,  just  as  the 
Tarahumares  to  this  dav  make  a  fire  in  the  cave  in  which 
they  bury  their  dead.  Indeed,  at  first  sight  there  was 
nothing  in  the  cave  to  indicate  that  thev  had  ever  been 
utilised  by  man  ;  but  below  the  dust  we  came  upon  a 
hard,  concrete  floor,  and  after  digging  through  this  to  a 


MUMMIES 


71 


deptli  of  three  feet,  we  fortunately  struck  a  skull,  and 
then  came  upon  the  l)ody  of  a  man.  After  this  we  disin- 
terred that  of  a  mother  holding'  a  ehild  in  her  arms,  and 
two  other  hodies,  all  hing"  on  their  left  sides,  their  knees 
half  diawn  up,  and  their  faces  turned  toward  the  setting" 
sun.  All  were  in  a  marvellous  state  of  preservation, 
owing  to  the  presence  of  saltpetre  in  the  dust.  This 
imparted  to  the  dead  a  mummy-like  appearance,  but 
there  was  nothing  to  suggest  that  embalming  or  other 
artificial  means  of  preservation  of  the  bodies  had  been 
used.     The  entire  system  was  simply  desiccated  intact, 


A  Mummified  Body. 

merely  shrunken,  with  the  skin  on  most  of  the  bodies 
almost  unbroken.  The  features,  and  even  the  expres- 
sion of  the  countenance,  were  in  many  cases  quite  dis- 
tinct. Some  had  retained  their  eyebrows  and  part  of 
their  hair,  and  even  their  intestines  had  not  all  disap- 
peared. 

The  hair  of  these  people  was  very  slightly  wav}-,  ami 
softer  than  that  of  the  modern  Indian  ;  in  fact,  almost 
silky.  The  statures  were  quite  low,  and  in  general  ap- 
pearance these  ancients  bear  a  curious  resemblance  to 
the  Moqui  Indians,  who  have  a  tradition  that  their  an- 
cestors came  from  the  south,  and  who,  to  this  day, 
speak   of  their   "southern    brethren";   but    it   would   be 


72 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


very  rash  to  conclude  from  this  that  the  cave-dwellers  of 
northwestern  Chihuahua  are  identical  with  the  Moqui 
ancestors.  I  afterwards  brought  to  light  several  other 
bodies  which  had  been  interred  under  similar  conditions. 


Rock  Paintings  in  White 
on  the  Inside  of  a  Burial 
Cave  in  Cave  Valley. 

The  bottom  of  the  burial  caves 

seems  to  have  always  been  overlaid 

with    a    roughly   level,    concrete    floor.      There  was  no 

trace  here  of  cysts,  or  other  formal  sepulture. 

None  of  the  remains  wore  ornaments  of  metal,  but 
various  shell  ornaments,  anklets  and  bracelets  of  beauti- 
fully plaited  straw,  which,  however,  crumbled  into  dust 
when  touched.  Their  clothing  consisted  of  three  layers 
of  wrappings  around  the  loins.  Next  to  the  body  was 
placed  a  coarse  cotton  cloth  ;  then  a  piece  of  matting, 
and  over  that  another  cotton  cloth.  Between  the  legs 
was  a  large  wad  of  cotton  mixed  with  the  feathers  of  the 
turkey,  the  large  woodpecker,  and  the  bluejay.  In  a 
few  instances,  the  cotton  cloth  was  dyed  red  or  indigo. 
Near  the  head  of  each  body  stood  a  small  earthenware 
jar  of  simple  design  ;  in  some  cases  we  also  found  drink- 
ing gourds  placed  at  the  head,  though  in  one  instance 
the  latter  had  been  put  on  the  breast  of  the  dead. 
Buried  with  the  person  w^e  found  a  bundle  of  "  devil's 


MORE   TKIXCHEKAS 


73 


claws  "  i^Martynia).  These  arc  used  l)y  the  Mexicans  of 
to-day  for  mending  pottery.  They  drill  holes  through 
the  fragments  to  be  joined  and  pass  into  them  one  of 
these  claws,    just    as  we    would    a    rivet.     The  claw  is 


A  Trinchera  in  Cave  Valley. 

elastic  and  strong,  and  answers  the  purpose  very  well. 
My  Mexicans  understood  at  once  to  what  use  they  had 
been  put. 

As  already  alluded  to,  trincheras  were  also  found  in 
Cave  Valley,  where  they  were  quite  numerous.  There 
was  one  or  more  in  every  ravine  and  gully,  and  what 
was  a  new  feature,  some  were  built  across  shallow 
drainages  on  the  very  summit  of  a  hill.  This  summit 
was  a  bald  conglomerate,  about  150  feet  above  the  val- 
ley. In  one  place  we  observed  eight  trincheras  within 
150  feet  of  each  other,  all  built  of  large  stones  in  the 


74  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Cyclopean  style  of  masonry.  The  l)locks  were  lava  and 
hard  felsite,  measuring  one  and  a  half  to  three  feet.  As 
a  rule,  these  trincheras  had  a  lateral  extent  of  thirty 
feet,  and  in  the  central  part  they  were  fifteen  feet  high. 
After  all  the  great  labour  expended  in  then"  construction, 
the  builders  of  these  terraces  had  secured  in  each  only 
a  space  thirty  feet  long  and  fifteen  feet  wide ;  in  other 
words,  these  eight  terraces  yielded  together  barely  3,000 
square  feet,  which  means  space  enough  for  planting  five 
or  six  hundred  hills  of  corn.  People  who  do  not  know 
the  Indians  would  consider  this  too  small  a  result  to 
favour  the  theory  that  these  terraces  w^ere  erected  for  ag- 
ricultural purposes.  But  the  Indian's  farming  is,  in  pro- 
portion to  his  wants,  conducted  on  a  small  scale,  and  he 
never  thinks  of  raising  more  corn  than  he  actually  needs  ; 
in  fact,  many  tribes,  as  for  instance  the  Tarahumares,  sel- 
dom raise  enough  to  last  the  family  all  the  year  through. 
Further  groups  of  cave-dwellings  were  found  some  ten 
miles  higher  up  the  river,  in  wdiat  is  called  the  "  Straw- 
berry Valley,"  probably  through  the  prevalence  of  the 
strawberry  tree,  of  which  several  beautiful  specimens 
were  seen.  The  largest  cave  there  contained  fourteen 
houses.  Unlike  the  dwellings  in  the  Cave  Valley,  here 
a  gallery  ran  in  front  of  the  houses.  The  woodw^ork 
here  w^as  fresher  than  that  of  the  Cave  Valley  houses, 
and  as  the  walls  had  only  three  coats  of  plaster  and 
whitewash,  and  the  corners  did  not  show  much  wear, 
these  dwellinijs  were  undoubtedlv  of  more  recent  oricrin. 
But  the  general  character  of  the  structures  was  similar 
to  those  we  first  investigated.  No  implements  were 
found  in  these  caves.  In  the  same  locality  were  quite  a 
number  of  smaller  caves  containing  houses  in  demoli- 
tion. In  one  of  them  the  walls  wxre  composed  of  stones 
and  mud,  and  here  we  also  saw  the  first  circular-shaped 
house  in  a  cave. 


ANCIENT    CAVK-DWELLINGS 


75 


H\  diiijriny  below 
tlic  concictc  llooi   oi 
one  of  the  looms,  w c 
caiiu  upon  the  skeU  - 
tons  of    h\e    adult^     '     \ 
This  was    a    smirulai  -^^ 
fact,    show  in<>:    that 
these    ancient   cave-  "> 
(i\\  cllcis  ohset  ved  tiie 
custom      of     huixmo; 
then    dead   undei   the 
floors  of  their  houses 
when   conditions  per- 
mitted    it.       Cave- 
dwellings  comprising 
twenty    rooms    were 
also  seen  by  the  Mor- 
mons at  the  head  of 
Bavispe  River. 

Mv  relatit)ns  with 


Ancient  Cave-Dwellings  in  Strawl-icrrx- 
Vallev. 


76 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


the  Mormons  continued  to  be  friendly,  and  in  my  deal- 
ings with  them  I  found  them  honest  and  business-Hke. 
While  thriftily  providing  for  the  material  requirements 
of  this  life,  they  leave  all  their  enjoyment  of  existence 
for  the  future  state.     Their  life  is  hard,  but  they  live  up 


Interior  View  ot  Cave-Dwellings  Shown  on  Page  75. 

to  their  convictions,  though  these,  in  some  points,  date 
from  a  by-gone  stage  in  the  development  of  the  human 
race. 

They  were  much  interested  in  our  work,  never 
doubting  but  that  it  could  only  be  to  their  advantage  to 
have  light  thrown  upon  the  mysteries  buried  in  their 
caves,  as,  in  their  opinion,  our  researches  would  only 
confirm  the  statements  made  in  the  "  Book  of  Mormon," 
which  mentions  the  prehistoric  races  of  America.    They 


a 


SACKED    S'lOKIES  79 

told  mc  that  the  book  speaks  of  the  arrival  of  three 
races  in  America.  The  first  landinj":  was  made  at  Guay- 
mas  in  Sonora,  the  people  hcinii^  fugitives  from  the 
divine  wrath  that  destroyed  the  Tower  of  Babel.  They 
were  killed.  The  second  race  landed  in  New  England, 
coming  from  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  third,  also  coming 
from  Jerusalem,  landed  in  Chile. 

We  spent  altogether  about  six  weeks  in  Cave  Val- 
ley, and  the  weather,  as  far  as  our  experience  went,  was 
pleasant  enough,  although  in  February,  for  several  days, 
a  strong,  cold  wind  was  blowing,  so  as  to  interfere  with 
our  work  in  the  mounds  at  daytime  and  with  our  sleep 
at  night.  In  addition  to  the  discomforting  feeling  that 
at  any  moment  my  tent  might  be  blown  dow^n,  I  w^as 
worried  by  the  possibility  of  its  falling  on  the  results  of 
our  excavations,  the  pottery  and  skeletons,  which,  for 
safety's  sake,  I  kept  in  my  tent.  The  situation  was 
not  improved  by  some  indiscreet  burro  (donkey),  who 
would  stray  into  the  camp  and  get  himself  entangled  in 
the  tent  ropes. 

On  January  30th  nearly  seven  inches  of  snow  fell. 
One  day  a  flock  of  twenty-five  turkeys  was  observed 
near  our  camp ;  but  our  efforts  to  get  within  shooting  dis- 
tance proved  futile,  as  these  cunning  birds,  who  appar- 
ently move  about  so  unconcernedly,  always  disappeared 
as  if  they  had  vanished  into  the  ground,  whenever  one 
of  us,  no  matter  how  cautiously,  tried  to  approach  them. 

News  of  Apaches  was  again  afloat,  and  one  day  a 
Mexican  officer  called  at  the  camp  obviously  in  pursuit 
of  Apaches  from  whom  he  had  recently  taken  twelve 
horses ;  but  unfortunately  the  men  had  escaped.  The 
presidente  of  Casas  Grandes  had  been  advised  of  the 
killing  of  two  Americans  near  San  Bernardino  by  some 
Apaches,  and  had  also  ordered  some  men  to  look  for  the 
miscreants  in  the  sierra. 


8o  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

Having  thoroughly  investigated  the  caves,  we  turned 
our  attention  to  the  mounds,  which  are  very  numer- 
ous in  this  part  of  the  country.  They  are  always  cov- 
ered with  srrass,  and  sometimes  even  trees  ijrow  on  them. 
When  excavated  they  disclosed  the  remains  of  houses 
of  a  type  similar  to  that  of  the  cave-dwellings.  Some 
of  the  mounds  were  high  enough  to  justify  the  supposi- 
tion that  the  houses  had  two  stories,  each  six  or  seven 
feet  high,  and  containing  a  number  of  rooms.  From 
the  locality  in  which  the  mounds  were  found  it  becomes 
at  once  evident  that  the  houses  which  once  stood  there 
were  not  destroyed  by  inundations  and  covered  by  dilu- 
vial deposits.  The  mounds  are  composed  of  gravelly 
cement  and  fine  debris  of  house  walls,  and  the  rooms 
left  are  completely  filled  with  this  material.  It  is  easy  to 
imag^ine  how  the  mounds  were  formed  bv  the  gradual 
demolition  of  the  ceilings,  plastering,  and  roofs,  forming 
a  heap  which  to-day  appears  as  shapely  as  if  it  had  been 
made  by  man  for  some  definite  purpose. 

The  houses  were  communal  dwellings,  each  consist- 
ing of  one  room,  which  generally  was  not  quite  ten  feet 
square.  The  walls,  eight  to  nine  inches  thick,  built  of 
a  mixture  of  clay  and  earth,  were  fairly  well  preserved 
in  places.  In  one  house,  which  had  unusually  solid  com- 
partments, the  walls  were  twenty,  and  in  some  places 
e\'en  thirty-three,  inches  thick.  Here  nothing  could  be 
found,  either  in  the  rooms  or  l)v  excavating  below  the 
floor.  The  same  conventional  doorwavs  were  met  with 
in  all  the  mound  houses,  but  there  was  hardly  any  trace 
of  woodwork. 

Excavations  in  one  of  the  mounds  near  our  camp 
disclosed  very  interesting  composite  structures.  One 
part  of  the  walls  consisted  of  large  posts  set  in  the 
ground  and  })lastered  over,  forming  a  stuccoed  pali- 
sade.    At  right  angles  with  this  was   a   wall  of    cobble- 


MOUNDS   ON    PIEDRAS    VERDES 


81 


stones,  and  among  the  buried  debris  were  fragments  of 
adobe  bricks.  In  one  room  of  this  group,  at  a  depth  of 
less  than  live  feet,  we  struck  a  floor  of  trodden  con- 
crete. Breaking  through  we  found  a  huddle  of  six  or 
seven  skeletons,  which,  however,  were  not  entire. 


Objects  Found  in  Mounds  at  Upper  Piedras  Verdes  River.  An  Earthenware 
Vessel  in  Shape  of  a  Gourd  is  Seen  in  the  Middle.  Length  of  the  Double 
Grooved  Axe,  16  ctm. 

Rarely  if  ever  was  any  object  found  in  these  rooms, 
except,  perhaps,  some  stray  axe,  or  some  metates  and 
grinding  stones,  and  in  one  case  a  square  stone  paint 
pot.  But  by  digging  below  the  concrete  floors  we 
came  upon  skeletons  which  seemed  to  have  been  laid 
down  without  regard  to  any  rule,  and  with  them  were 
invariably  buried  some  household  utensils,  such  as 
earthenware  jars  and  bowls,  beautifully  decorated  ;  axes 
and  mauls,  fairly  carved  and  polished.  One  very  rare 
object  was  secured  :  a  doubled-grooved  axe.  The  skele- 
tons were  badly  preserved,  but  we  were  able  to  gather 
several  skulls  and  some  of  the  larger  bones. 

The  floor  material  was  so  hard  that  only  by  means 
of  heavy  iron  bars  could  we  break  through  it.  As  it  was 

Vol..  T.— 6 


82 


UNKNOWN    xMEXICO 


impracticable  for  us  to  make  eomplete  excavations,  the 
number  of  rooms  each  mound  contained  cannot  be 
stated.  There  were  in  the  immediate  neio^hbourhood  of 
Cave  \^alley  at  least  ten  or  twelve  separate  groups,  each 
of  which  had  from  four  to  eight  rooms  on  the  ground 
floor.  The  entire  district  is  richly  studded  with  mounds. 
On  an  excursion  three  or  four  miles  down  Piedras 
Verdes  River  I  saw  several  groups  of  mounds,  some  of 
which,  no  doubt,  contained  many  objects  of  antiquitv. 
On  top  of  one  low  hill  was  a  large  group,  and  half  a 


Painting  on  Rock  on  Piedras  Verdes  River.     The  Colour  is  White  Except 
One  Line  in  Red.      Height  of  Lowest  Figure,  about  60  ctm. 

mile  north  of  this  another,  160  paces  long  and  contain- 
inof  two  oblons:  mounds.  Some  of  the  mounds  were  ten 
or  twelve  feet  high. 

A  verv  trustworthy  Mormon  informed  me  that  there 
were  no  ruins,  in  caves  or  otherwise,  along  the  river  be- 
tween this  settlement  and  Colon ia  Juarez  ;  nor  were 
there  an}',  he  said,  for  a  hundred  miles  south  of  Pacheco, 
though  mounds  could  be  seen  in  several  places.  There- 
fore when  I  at  last  departed  from  Cave  Valley,  I  took 
his  advice  and  did  not  follow  the  course  of  the  Piedras 
Verdes  River  down  to  San  Diego,  but  led  the  pack 
train  the  safer,    though   longer,    way   over  the    regular 


SAN  i)ii;go 


83 


road.  The  country  along  tlic  river  was  afterward  ex- 
plored by  members  of  my  expedition.  They  came  ujjon 
several   small   caves   high   up  on  the  side  of  the  canon, 


Figures  on  Walls  of  a  Cave  House,  on  Piedras  \'erdes  River.  They  are 
painted  red  except  those  indicated  hv  white  lines,  that  signify  pecking. 
Figure  to  right  is  about  60  ctm.  high. 

some  of  which  had  once  been  inhabited,  to  judge  from 
the  many  potsherds  and  the  smoky  roofs  ;  but  no  cave- 
houses  were  found  until  higher  up  the  river,  where  some 
were  seen  in  the  sandstone  cliffs. 

I  broke  camp  in  Cave  Valley  on  March  nth,  and 
arrived  on  the  same  day  at  Old  Juarez,  a  few  miles 
from  mv  camp  at  San  Diego.  Now 
the  weather  was  warm  ;  the  grass 
was  sprouting,  and  I  noticed  a  flock 
of  wild  geese  going  northward. 

The  plains  of  wSan  Diego  used 
to  swarm  with  antelojjcs,  and  even 
at  the  time  of  my  visit  herds  of 
them  could  be  seen  now  and  then. 
One  old  hunter  near  C^asas  Grandes 
resorted  to  an  ingenious  device  for 
decoying  them.  He  disguised  himself  as  an  antelope, 
by  means  of  a  cloak  of  cotton  cloth  (manta)  painted  to 


Figure  on  Rock  on  Piedras 
Verdes  River.  White 
lines  indicate  peck- 
ing, the  rest  is  coloured 
red. 


84 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


resemble  the  colouring  of  the  animal.  This  covered  his 
body,  arms,  and  legs.  On  his  head  he  placed  the  antlers 
of  a  stag,  and  by  creeping  on  all  fours  he  could  approach 
the  antelopes  quite  closely  and  thus  successfully  shoot 
them.  The  Apaches,  according  to  the  Mexicans,  were 
experts  at  hunting  antelopes  in  this  manner. 

We  excavated  a  mound   near  Old  Juarez  and   found 


Sw      1  'tJKfft 

lirMiifti    '  >-»-«*-^ "•««»*■■-  /: »,<■*!>     viii»iimn)r 

-«* 

' ' .  \^ 

MM?"'       '" 

Hunting  Antelope  in  Disguise. 

in  it  a  small  basin  of  black  ware.  There  were  twelve  or 
fifteen  other  mounds,  all  containing  house  groups.  The 
largest  among  them  was  loo  feet  long,  fifty  feet  wide, 
and  ten  feet  high  ;  others,  while  covering  about  the 
same  space,  were  only  three  or  four  to  six  feet  high. 
They  were  surrounded,  in  an  irregular  way,  by  numer- 
ous stone  heaps,  some  quite  small,  others  large  and 
rectangular,  inclosing  a  space  thirty  by  ten  feet. 


o 


CASAS   GllANDKS  87 

From  an  aiclucolooical  point  of  view,  the  district  \vc 
now  found  ourselves  in  is  exceedingly  rich,  and  I  de- 
termined to  explore  it  as  thoroughly  as  circumstances 
permitted.  One  can  easily  count,  in  the  vicinity  of  San 
Diego,  over  fifty  mounds,  and  there  are  also  rock  carv- 
ings and  paintings  in  varit)us  places.  Some  twenty  miles 
further  south  there  are  communal  cave-dwellings,  resem- 
bling those  in  Cave  \"allev,  which  were  examined  by  mem- 
bers of  the  expedition  at  the  San  Miguel  River,  about 
eight  miles  above  the  point  at  which  the  river  enters  the 
plains.  Inside  of  one  large  cave  numerous  houses  were 
found.  They  had  all  been  destroyed,  yet  it  was  plainly 
evident  that  some  of  them  had  originally  been  three 
stories  high. 

But  the  centre  of  interest  is  Casas  Grandes,  the  fa- 
mous ruin  situated  about  a  mile  south  of  the  town  which 
took  its  name,  and  we  soon  went  over  to  investigate  it. 

The  venerable  pile  of  fairly  well  preserved  ruins  has 
already  been  described  by  John  Russell  Bartlett,  in  1854, 
and  more  recently  by  A.  F.  Bandelier  ;  a  detailed  de- 
scription is  therefore  here  superfluous.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  the  Casas  Grandes,  or  Great  Houses,  are  a  mass  of 
ruined  houses,  huddled  together  'on  the  western  bank  of 
the  river.  Most  of  the  buildings  have  fallen  in  and  form 
six  or  eight  large  mounds,  the  highest  of  which  is  about 
twenty  feet  above  the  ground.  Low  mesquite  bushes 
have  taken  root  along  the  mounds  and  between  the 
ruins.  The  remaining  walls  are  sufficiently  well  pre- 
served to  give  us  an  idea  of  the  mode  of  building  em- 
ployed by  the  ancients.  At  the  outskirts  of  the  ruined 
village  the  houses  are  lower  and  have  only  one  story, 
while  in  its  central  part  they  must  have  been  at  one 
time  at  least  four  stories  high.  They  were  not  palaces, 
but  simply  dwellings,  and  the  whole  village,  which  prob- 
ably once  housed  3,000  or  4,000  people,  resembles,  in  its 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


general  characteristics,  the  pueblos  in  the  Southwest, 
and,  for  that  matter,  the  houses  we  excavated  from  the 
mounds.     The  onlv  features  that  distinguish  tliesc  from 

either  of  the  other  structures  are 
the    immense    thickness   of    the 
walls,  which  reaches  as  much  as 
five  feet,  and    the   great    height 
of  the    buildings.     The    material, 
too,  is  different,  consisting  of  enor- 
mous bricks  made  of  mud  mixed 
with  coarse  gravel,  and  formed  in 
baskets  or  boxes. 


A  striking  fact  is  that  the 
houses  apparently  are  not  arranged 
in  accordance  with  any  laid-out 
plan  or  regularity.  Nevertheless 
they  looked  extremely  picturesque, 
viewed  from  the  east  as  the  sun 
was  setting.  I  camped  for  a  few 
days  on  top  of  the  highest  mound, 
between  the  ruined  walls. 

No  circular  building,  nor  any 
trace  of  a  place  of  worship,  could 
be  found.  The  Mexicans,  some  of 
whom  have  nestled  on  the  eastern  part  of  the  ruins,  have 
from  time  to  time  come  upon  beautiful  jars  and  bowls, 
which  they  sold  to  relic  hunters  or  used  themselves. 
Such  pottery  is  far  superior  in  quality  and  decoration  to 
anything  now  made  in  Mexico.  The  ancient  metates  of 
Casas  Grandes,  which  are  much  appreciated  by  the  pres- 
ent inhabitants  of  the  valley,  are  decidedly  the  finest  I 
have  ev^er  seen.  They  are  square  in  shape,  resting  on 
four  legs,  and  well  finished.  There  have  also  been  taken 
out  some  stone  axes  and  arrowheads,  which  are  much 
like  those  found  in  the  Southwest  of  the  United  States. 


Ceremonial  Hatchet  with 
Mountain  Sheep's  Head. 
From  Casas  Grandes.  Broic- 
en.      Length,  12,16  ctm. 


AN   ANCIENT   WATCH    TOWER 


89 


Some  years  ago  a  large  meteorite  was  unearthed  in 
a  small  room  on  the  first  floor  of  one  of  the  hicrhest  of 
the  buildings.  When  discovered  it  was  found  carefully 
put  away  and  covered  with  cotton  wrappings.  No 
doubt  it  once  had  served  some  religious  purpose.  On 
account  of  its  glittering  appearance,  the  Mexicans 
thought  it  was  silver,  and  everybody  wanted  to  get  a 
piece  of  it.     But   it   was  taken  to  Chihuahua,  and  the 


Earthenware  V'essel  in  Shape  ot  a  Woman.      From  Casas  Grandes. 
Height,   15.8  ctm. 

gentleman  who  sent  it  to  Germany  told  me  that  it 
weighed  2,000  pounds. 

There  are  still  traces  of  well-constructed  irrigation 
ditches  to  be  seen  approaching  the  ruins  from  the  north- 
west. There  are  also  several  artificial  accumulations  of 
stones  three  to  fifteen  feet  high  and  of  various  shapes. 
One  of  them  has  the  form  of  a  Latin  cross  measuring 
nineteen  feet  along  its  greatest  extent.  Others  are 
rectangular,  and  still  others  circular.  About  three  miles 
off,  toward  the  west,  are  found  pictures  pecked  on  large 
stones,  one  representing  a  bird,  another  one  the  sun. 

An  interesting  relic  of  the  population  that  once 
prospered  in   Casas  Grandes  Valley  is  a  watch  tower, 


90 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


plainlv  visible  on  a  mountain  to  the  southwest,  and 
about  live  miles,  in  a  straiiiht  line,  from  the  ruins. 
Well-defined  traeks  lead  up  to  it  from  all  directions, 
especially  from  the  east  and  west.  On  the  western  side 
three  such  trails  were  noticed,  and  several  join  at  the 
lower  part  of  the  ridge,  which  runs  southward  and  cul- 
minates in  the  promontory  on  which  the  watch  tower 
stands  1,500  feet  above  the  plains. 

The  western  side  of  the  ridge  is  in  some  places  quite 
precipitous,  but  there  is  a  fairly  good  track  running 
along  its  entire  extent  to  the  top.  Sometimes  the  road 
is  protected  with  stones,  and  in  other  places  even  with 
walls,  on  the  outer  side.  Although  the  ascent  is,  at 
times,  steep,  the  top  can  be  reached  on  horseback. 

The  path  strikes  a  natural  terrace,  and  on  this  is 
seen  a  ruined  house  group  built  of  undressed  stones  on 
the  bare  rock.  Some  of  the  walls  are  twenty-four 
inches  thick.  And  a  little  to  the  south  of  it  is  a  large 
mound,  from  which  a  Mormon  has  excavated  two 
rooms.  A  very  well-built  stone  wall  runs  for  more 
than  100  paces  from  north  to  south  on  the  western,  or 
most  easily  accessible,  side  of  the  pueblo. 

After  leaving  this  ancient  little  village,  we  made  a 
pleasant  ascent  to  the  top,  where  a  strikingly  beautiful 
panorama  opened  up  before  us  on  all  sides.  The  sum- 
mit commands  a  view  of  the  fertile  valleys  for  miles 
around  in  every  direction.  To  the  west  is  the  valley  of 
the  Piedras  Verdes  River,  and  to  the  east  the  valley  of 
Casas  Grandes ;  and  in  the  plains  to  the  south  the 
snakelike  windings  of  the  San  Miguel  River  glitter  in 
the  sun.  Towartl  the  north  the  view  is  immense,  and 
fine  mountains  form  a  fitting  frame  for  the  landscape 
all  around  the  horizon. 

What  a  pre-eminently  fine  position  for  a  look-out  ! 
As    I    contemj)late(l    the    vast    stretches   of    land    com- 


A    FINE    PROSPECT 


91 


mandcd  from  this  point,  I  pondered  for  how  many  cen- 
turies sentinels  from  this  spot  may  have  scanned  the  ho- 


Cerro  de  Montezuma  and  the  Watch  Tower  Seen  from  the  South. 

rizon  with  their  eagle  eyes  to  warn  their  people  of  any 
enemy  approaching  to  disturb  their  peaceful  occupations. 
The  fort  is  circular  and  about  forty  feet  in  diameter. 
The  surrounding  wall  is  on  one  side  about  eleven  feet 
high  and  very  broad,  while  in  other  places  it  is  much 
lower  and  narrower.  There  are  four  clearly  outlined 
chambers  in  the  centre ;  but  by  excavations  nothing 
could  be  found  in  them,  except  that  the  flooring  was 
one  inch  thick. 


92 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


It  was  quite  warm  here.  Some  birds  were  about, 
and  there  were  a  few  flowers  out.  Wild  white  currant 
bushes  were  growing  inside  of  the  fortress,  breathing 
dehcious  fragrance.  But  aside  from  the  top,  the  moun- 
tain was  all  but  barren  of  vegetation. 

A  few  days  afterward  I  went  on  an  excursion  up 
the  Casas  Grandes  Valley,  as  far  as  the  Mormon  colony 
Dublan.  This  valley,  which  is  about  fifteen  miles 
long  and  equally  as  broad,  is  very  fertile  where  prop- 
erly irrigated,  and  maize  and  wheat  fields  delight  the 
eye.  Naturally,  the  country  is  well  populated,  and  the 
mounds  which  are  met  with  everywhere  prove  that  this 
was  already  the  case  in  ancient  times.  In  fact,  mounds, 
in  groups  or  isolated,  are  numerous  as  far  north  as  As- 
cension. 

How  richly  the  apparently  poor  soil  repays  the  labour 
which  man  expends  on  it  may  be  seen  in  the  flourishing 
colony   the   Mormons   have   here.     Wherever  they  go, 


Double   Earthenware    \  esscl,  from  San   Diego,  with   Hollow   Connection  at 
Base.      Length,  24.8  ctm. 

the  Mormons  transform  waste  land  into  scenes  of  pros- 
perity, so  much  so  that  the  Mexicans  attribute  the  suc- 
cess of  these  indefatigable  developers  to  a  gold  mine, 
which  they  are  supposed  to  work  secretly  at  night. 

As   I    found   it  imperative   to  return  to  the  United 
States  in  the  interest  of  the  expedition,  I  considered  it 


BURIED   TREASURE  93 

expedient  to  reduce  my  scientitic  corps  to  three.  My 
camp  at  San  Diego  I  left  in  charge  of  Mr.  H.  White, 
who  later  on  was  relieved  by  Mr.  C.  W  Hartman. 
During  my  absence  they  conducted  excavations  of  the 
mounds  alonsf  the  southern  bank  of  the  Piedras  Verdes 
River,  near  its  junction  with  wSan  Miguel  River,  and  in 
convenient  neighbourhood  to  the  camp.  Neither  the 
mounds  themselves  nor  the  houses  inside  of  them  differ 
much  from  those  already  described  on  the  upper  part  of 
the  river,  except  that  some  of  the  mounds  here  were 
somewhat  larger.  Judging  from  the  beams  left,  they 
probably  contained  a  few  three-story  houses.  How- 
ever, in  either  locality  most  of  the  mound  houses  were 
onlv  one  story  high,  and  where  second  or  third  stories 
were  indicated,  they  were  never  found  intact.  In  neither 
place  were  circular  houses  observed.  The  mounds  here 
were  located  on  a  rich,  alluvial  clay  soil. 

Here,  as  on  the  upper  part  of  the  river,  the  treasures 
we  secured  were  taken  from  underneath  the  floors  of 
the  houses,  where  they  had  been  buried  with  the  dead. 
Here,  as  there,  they  consisted  of  beautifully  decorated 
earthenware  jars  and  bowls,  some  of  them  in  bizarre 
representations  of  animal  and  human  forms,  besides 
stone  implements,  shell  beads,  pieces  of  pyrites  and 
turquoise,  all  being  generally  unearthed  intact. 

The  things  w^ere  found  alongside  of  skeletons,  which 
were  huddled  together  in  groups  of  from  two  to  five  in 
one  of  the  corners.  The  jars,  bowls,  etc.,  had  generally 
been  deposited  close  to  the  body,  as  a  rule  near  the  head. 
The  skulls  of  the  skeletons  were  mostly  crushed,  and 
crumbled  to  dust  when  exposed  to  the  air.  There  was 
no  trace  of  charring  on  the  bones,  although  in  some 
cases  charcoal  was  found  close  to  the  skeletons. 

To  excavate  such  mounds  is  slow  and  tedious  work, 
requiring    much    patience.       Sometimes    nothing   was 


94  UNKNOWN    M?:XICO 

found  for  weeks.  Small  mounds  gave  results  as  good 
as,  if  not  better  than,  some  large  ones.  In  shape  they 
are  more  or  less  conical,  flattened  at  the  top ;  some  are 
oblong,  a  few  even  rectangular.  The  highest  among 
them  rose  to  twenty  or  twenty-five  feet,  but  the  majority 
varied  from  live  to  twelve  feet.  The  house  walls  inside 
of  them  were  from  eight  to  sixteen  inches  thick. 

The  pottery  which  was  excavated  here  may  be 
judged  by  the  accompanying  plates.  It  is  superior  in 
quality,  as  well  as  in  decoration,  to  that  produced  by  the 
Pueblos  of  the  Southwest  of  the  United  States.  The 
clay  is  fine  in  texture  and  has  often  a  slight  surface 
gloss,  the  result  of  mechanical  polishing.  Though  the 
designs  in  general  remind  one  of  those  of  the  Southwest- 
ern Pueblos,  as,  for  instance,  the  cloud  terraces,  scrolls, 
etc.,  still  most  of  the  decorations  in  question  show 
more  delicacy,  taste,  and  feeling,  and  are  richer  in  col- 
ouring. 

This  kind  of  pottery  is  known  onlv  from  excava- 
tions in  the  valleys  of  San  Diego  and  of  Piedras  Verdes 
River,  as  well  as  from  Casas  Grandes  Valley.  It  forms 
a  transition  from  the  culture  of  the  Pueblos  of  Arizona 
and  New  Mexico  to  that  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico,  a 
thousand  miles  farther  south.  In  a  general  way  the 
several  hundred  specimens  of  the  collection  can  be 
divided  into  four  groups  : 

(i)  The  clay  is  quite  fine,  of  white  colour,  with  a 
slightly  grayish-yellow  tinge.  The  decorations  are  black 
and  red,  or  black  only.  This  is  the  }^rcdominant  type, 
and  may  be  seen  in  Plates  I.  and  II.  ;  also  Plate  III.,  a. 

(2)  Of  a  very  similar  character,  but  somewhat 
coarser  in  texture,  and  heavier.  See  Plate  III.,  h  to^, 
and  Plate  W .,  f.  Both  these  groups  include  variations 
in  the  decorative  designs,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  rest  of 
Plate  IV. 


Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  I.,  a. 


The  Horned  Toad  Jar,  Seen  from  Above  and  Below.      Plate  I.,  c. 


Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  I.,  d. 


Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  III.,  e. 


96  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

(3)  Brown  pottery  with  black  decorations.  See 
Plate  v.,  a,  b,  c,  and  e. 

(4)  Black  ware. 

Here  follows  a  condensed  description  of  the  more 
important  specimens  shown  in  the  plates  : 

Plate  I 

Heights:  a,  18.5  ctm. ;  /;,  15.2  ctm.;  c,  16.2  ctm.;  d, 
18.8  ctm.;  e,  11.3  ctm.  ;  /,  8.5  ctm. 

a,  particularly  graceful  in  outline  and  decoration,  is  a 
representative  type  that  is  often  found. 

c,  from  Colonia  Dublan,  is  made  in  the  shape  of  a 
horned  toad,  the  lizard  so  familiar  to  anyone  who  has 
visited  the  Southwest  of  the  United  States.  The  head 
with  its  spikes,  and  the  tail  as  well,  are  well  rendered  ; 
the  thorny  prominences  of  the  body  are  represented  by 
the  indentations  around  the  edge. 

d,  the  principal  decoration  here  is  the  plumed  ser- 
pent with  a  bird's  head. 

e,  a  vase  in  the  shape  of  a  duck. 

f,  a  bowl  decorated  only  around  the  edge  and  in  the 
interior. 

Plate  H 

Height,  16.5  ctm. 

Here  is  shown  what,  in  regard  both  to  manufacture 
and  to  decoration,  is  the  best  specimen  in  the  collection. 
Its  principal  ornaments  are  the  plumed  serpent  and  two 
birds,  all  clearly  seen  in  the  extension  of  the  design 
above  and  below  the  vase.  The  lower  section  is  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  upper  one. 

The  birds  are  represented  as  in  flight.  Mr.  M.  H. 
Saville  is  probably  right  in  considering  them  as  quetzals, 
though  the  habitat  of  this  famous  trogon  is  Central 
America  and  the  southernmost  part  of  Mexico.  The 
bird  and  the  serpent  form  the  decoration  of  other  jars 
of  this  collection  and  would  indicate  that  the  makers  of 
this  pottery  were  affiliated  with  the  Aztecs  in  their  adora- 
tion of  the  great  deity  Quetzalcoatl. 


HANDSOME    POTTEKY-WARE 


97 


PlATK   III 

Heights:  a,  18.5  ctni.;  d,  18  ctm.;  f,  i7ctm.;  d,  11 
ctm.;  c,  14.5  ctm.;  /  15.3  ctm.;  g,  24.2  ctm. 

r,   a  jar  in  the  shape  of  a  eonv^entionaHsed  owl. 

d,   a  jar  in  the  shaj)e  of  a  fish. 

/"  is  a  niueii  conventionahscd  representation  of  four 
horned  toads.  Around  its  upper  part  it  has  two  ser- 
pents, apparently  coral  snakes,  attached  in  high  relief. 

Plate   IV 

Heights:  a,  14  ctm.;  b,  16.8  ctm.;  c,  18.6  ctm.;  d, 
12.2  ctm.;  c\  22  ctm.;  y^  18.5  ctm. 

a,  a  very  realistic  representation  of  the  rain-grub. 

c  has  a  black  slip. 

d  is  very  strong  and  highly  polished,  and  differs  also 
in  colourino:  from  the  rest. 

Plate  V 
Heights  :  (i,  ^.J  ctm.;  b,  9,8  ctm.;  c,  25.6  ctm.;  d,  ly 
ctm.;  e,  20.7  ctm.;  f,  19.3  ctm.;  g,  19.3  ctm. 


Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  V.,  e. 

This  brown  ware  is  very  handsome,  and  its  ornamen- 
tation is  strikingly  artistic  in  its  simplicity.  See,  for  in- 
stance, Plate  v.,  e.  D,  f,  and  ^'' represent  pottery  from 
Casas  Grandes,  distinguished  by  a  certain  solidity  and  a 
higher  polish. 


Black  Ware,  Highly  Polished.      Heights,  12.5  ctm.;  14  ctm.;  7.8  ctm. 
Vol.  L— 7 


Extension  of  Design  on  Plate  IV.,  a. 


Extension  ot  Design  on  Plate  1V^,  b. 


Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  IV.,  c. 


Extension  of  Designs  on  I'hite  IV.,y. 


Extension  of  Designs  on  Plate  \'.,  c. 


CHAPTER    V 

SECOND  EXPEDITION — RETURN  TO  THE  SIERRA  —  PARROTS  IN  THE 
SNOW — CAVE-DWELLINGS  AT  GARABATO,  THE  MOST  BEAUTI- 
FUL IN  NORTHERN  MEXICO — A  SUPERB  VIEW  OF  THE  SIERRA 
MADRE  —  THE  DEVIL'S  SPINE  RIDGE  —  GUAYNOPA,  THE  FA- 
MOUS OLD  SILVER  MINE — ARROS  RIVER ON  OLD  TRAILS — AD- 
VENTURES    OF     "  EL     CHINO  " — CURE     FOR    POISON    IVY. 

WHEN  in  the  middle  of  January,  1892,  I  resumed 
mv  explorations,  my  party  was  only  about  one- 
third  as  large  as  it  had  been  the  year  before.  In  pur- 
suance of  my  plan,  I  again  entered  the  Sierra  Madre, 
returning  to  it,  as  far  as  Pacheco,  by  the  road  on  which 
we  had  come  down  to  San  Diego.  We  travelled  over 
freshly-fallen  snow  a  few  inches  deep,  and  encountered 
a  party  of  eight  revolutionists  from  Ascension,  among 
whom  I  perceived  the  hardest  looking  faces  T  had  ever 
laid  eyes  on.  All  questions  regarding  their  affairs 
they  answered  evasively,  and  I  could  not  help  feeling 
some  anxiety  for  three  of  the  men,  who  with  a  Mexican 
guide,  had  for  some  weeks  been  exploring  the  country 
around  Chuhuichupa,  a  discarded  cattle  range  some 
forty  miles  south  of  Pacheco.  Next  day  I  sent  a  man 
ahead  to  warn  them  .against  the  political  fugitives. 
The  Mormons  told  me  that  for  more  than  a  fcjrtnight 
thev  had  been  keeping  track  of  these  suspicious-looking 
characters  who  had  been  camping  in  the  neighbourhood. 
There  were  repeated  falls  of  snow,  and  the  sierra 
assumed  a  thoroughly  northern  aspect.  Only  the  mul- 
titude of  green  parrots  with  pretty  red  and  yellow  heads, 
chattering  in  the  tree-tops  and   feasting  on  pine  cones, 

99 


100  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

reminded  us  that  we  were  in  southern  latitudes.  As  all 
tracks  had  been  obliterated  by  the  snow,  I  secured  a 
Mormon  to  guide  us  southward. 

About  ten  miles  south  of  Pacheco  we  passed  Mound 
Vallev,  or  "  Los  Montezumas,"  so  named  after  the  ex- 
traordinary number  of  montezumas,  or  mounds,  found  in 
the  locality,  probably  not  far  from  a  thousand.  Looking- 
at  them  from  a  distance,  there  seemed  to  be  some  plan 
in  their  arrangement,  inasmuch  as  they  formed  rows 
running  from  north  to  south.  They  are  small,  and  nearly 
all  of  them  are  on  the  south  side  of  a  sloping  plain 
which  spread  itself  over  about  500  acres  in  the  midst  of 
densely  pine-covered  highlands. 

On  making  camp  a  few  miles  south  of  this  plateau 
we  found  that  one  of  the  mules  had  strayed  off.  My 
dismay  over  the  loss  of  the  animal  was  not  alleviated  by 
the  news  that  the  mule  was  the  one  that  carried  my 
blankets  and  tent,  and  that  I  had  a  good  prospect  of 
passing  at  least  one  uncomfortable  night  on  the  snow. 
The  American  who  had  been  intrusted  with  keeping- 
count  of  the  animals  on  the  road  immediately  went 
back  to  look  for  the  lost  one  ;  but  not  until  next  day 
did  a  Mexican,  who  had  been  sent  along  with  him,  bring 
back  the  pack,  which  the  mule  had  managed  to  get  rid 
of.  The  animal  itself  and  its  aparejo  were  never  re- 
covered by  us. 

On  my  arrival  at  Chuhuichupa  I  found  everything 
satisfactory.  There  are  extensive  grass -lands  here, 
and  a  few  years  after  our  visit  the  Mormons  established 
a  colony.  The  name  Chuhuichupa  is  interesting,  as  it 
is  the  first  one  we  came  ui)on  that  was  of  undoubted 
Tarahumare  origin,  "  chuhui  "  being  the  Spanish  cor- 
ruption of  "  Chu-i,"  which  means  "  dead."  The  name 
signifies  "  the  place  of  the  dead,"  possibly  alluding  to 
burial  caves. 


o 


u 


GARABATO 


103 


Here  Mr.  'Favlof  iiad  discovered  verv  interestinof 
cavc-dwellinos,  liftccn  miles  soulhcast  to  east  in  a 
straio;ht  liiu-  fiom  the  eanip,  hut  full\-  t weiUy-live  miles 
by  the  track  he  had  followed.  'Idle  Mexicans  called 
the  cave  (iarahato.  a  Spanish  word,  which  in  Mexico 
is  used  in  the  sense  of  "  decorative  designs,"  and  refers 
here  to  ancient  j)aintino;s  or  scrawlings  on  the  house 
walls.      The  cave   is   situated    in   a  gorge   on   the  noith- 


t'dii.  ot    La\c- Dwellings  at  Garahato. 

ern  slope  of  the  Arroyo  Garahato,  which  drains  into 
the  Rio  Chico,  It  is  in  conglomerate  formation,  faces 
east,  and  lies  about  215  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the 
gorge.  The  ascent  is  steep  and  somewhat  difficult.  At 
a  little  distance  the  high,  regular  walls  of  the  houses, 
with  their  many  door  and  window  oi)enings,  presented 
a  most  striking  contrast  to  their  surroundings  of  snow- 
covered  jagged  cliffs,  in  the  lonely  wilderness  of  pine 
woods.      Some    of    the    walls     had    succumbed    to    the 


104  UNKNOWN    .\JEXICO 

weight  of  ages,  but,  on  the  whole,  ihc  ruins  are  in  a 
good  state  of  preservation,  and  although  1  found  cave- 
dwellings  as  far  south  as  Zapuri,  Chihuahua,  none 
of  them  were  nearly  as  well  preserved  nor  on  such 
an  extensive  seale.  Time  would  not  allow  me  to 
visit  the  cave  myself,  and  the  following  description 
is  based  on  notes  taken  by  Mr.  Taylor  on  the  spot, 
as  well  as  on  his  photographs  and  his  verbal  explana- 
tions. 

The  space  covered  by  the  houses  and  fallen  walls 
was  125  feet  from  side  to  side,  and  at  the  central  part 
the  dwellings  were  thirty-five  feet  deep.  The  roof  of  the 
cave,  or  rather,  the  overhanging  cliff,  was  at  the  highest 
point  eighty  feet  above  the  floor.  The  houses  were 
arranged  in  an  arc  of  a  circle  so  large  as  hardly  to  deviate 
from  a  straight  line.  The  front  row  seems  to  have  been 
of  but  one  story,  while  the  adjoining  row  back  of  it  had 
two  stories.  The  roof  of  the  houses  at  no  place  reached 
the  roof  of  the  cave.  Each  room  was  about  twelve  feet 
square,  and  the  walls,  which  showed  no  evidence  of 
blocks  or  bricks,  varied  in  thickness  from  fifteen  inches 
at  the  base  to  seven  inches  at  the  toj)  of  the  highest. 
At  some  places  large  stones  were  built  into  the  walls; 
in  another  wall  wooden  posts  and  horizontal  sticks  or 
laths  were  found.  The  surface  of  the  walls,  which 
were  protected  against  the  weather,  was  smooth  and 
even,  and  the  interior  walls  showed  seven  or  eight  coat- 
ings of  plaster.  The  floors,  where  they  could  be  ex- 
amined, were  smoothlv  cemented  and  so  hard  as  to  ef- 
fectively resist  the  spade.  Hie  pine  poles  which  formed 
the  roof  were  smooth,  but  not  squared  ;  they  were  three 
to  four  inches  in  diameter,  and  some  of  them  were 
twenty-four  feet  long.  According  to  all  appearances, 
they  had  been  hewn  with  a  blunt  instrument,  as  they 
were  more    hacked     than    cut.       Many    of  them    were 


CAVE  HOUSES 


lo; 


nicely  rounded  off  at  the  ends,  and  several   inches  from 
the  ends  a  groove  was  cut  all  around  the  pole. 

In  the  centre  of  the  back  rooms  of  the  ground  floor 
there  was  usually  a  pine  pole,  about  ten  inches  in  diam- 
eter, set  up  like  a  rude  })illar.  I^^esting  on  this  and  the 
side  walls  (jf  the  rooms  in  a  slight  curve  was  a  similar 
pole,   also  rounded,   and    running  parallel  to   the  front 


Design  in  Red  on  Second  Story  Wall. 

of  the  houses  ;  and  crossing 
it  from  the  front  to  the  rear 
walls   were  laid  similar  poles 

or  rafters  about  four  inches  in  diameter.  The  ends  of 
these  were  set  directly  into  the  walls,  and  covering  them 
was  a  roofing  of  mud,  some  three  inches  thick,  hard,  and 
on  the  upper  surface  smooth.  The  second  story,  where 
it  had  not  caved  in,  was  covered  in  the  same  manner. 
None  of  the  lower  story  rooms  had  an  outlet  to  the 
apartments  above,  and  the  evidence  tended  to  prove  that 


io6  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

the  second  story  houses  were  reached  from  the  bottom 
of  the  cave  over  the  roofs  of  the  front  row  of  houses 
by  means  of  ladders. 

Most  of  tiie  rooms  were  well  supplied  with  apertures 
of  the  usual  conventional  form  ;  sometimes  there  were 
as  many  as  three  in  one  room,  each  one  large  enough 
to  serve  as  a  door.  But  there  were  also  several  small 
circular  openings,  which  to  civilised  man  might  appear 
to  have  served  as  exits  for  the  smoke  ;  but  to  the  In- 
dian the  house,  as  everything  else,  is  alive,  and  must  have 
openings  through  which  it  can  draw  breath,  as  other- 
wise it  would  be  choked.  These  holes  were  three  or 
four  inches  in  diameter,  and  many  of  them  were  blocked 
up  and  plastered  over.  A  large  number  of  what 
seemed  to  have  been  doorways  were  also  found  to 
be  blocked  up,  no  doubt  from  some  ulterior  religious 
reason. 

A  peculiar  feature  of  the  architecture  was  a  hall  not 
less  than  forty  feet  long,  and  from  floor  to  rafters  seven 
feet  high.  Six  beams  were  used  in  the  roof,  laid  be- 
tween the  north  and  south  walls.  There  were  rafters  of 
two  different  lengths,  being  set  in  an  angle  of  about  ten 
degrees  to  each  other.  The  west  wall  contained  twelve 
pockets,  doubtless  the  cavities  in  which  the  rafters  had 
rested.  They  were,  on  an  average,  three  inches  in  diam- 
eter, and  ran  in  some  six  inches,  slanting  downward  in 
the  interior.  The  east  wall  was  found  to  contain  up- 
right poles  and  horizontal  slats,  forming  a  framework  for 
the  building  material.  The  interior  was  bare,  with  the 
exception  of  a  ledge  running  along  the  southern  side 
and  made  from  the  same  material  as  the  house  walls. 
It  was  squared  up  in  front  and  formed  a  convenient 
settee. 

At  the  end  of  this  iiall,  but  in  the  upper  story,  was 
found  a  house  that  was  distinguished  from  the  others  by 


DON     IKODOKO 


107 


a  peculiar  decoration  in  red,  while  the  space  around  the 
door  was  painted  in  a  delicate  shade  of  lavender. 

There  seems  to  have  been  still  another  hall  of  nearly 
the  same  leniith  as  the  one  described,  but  which  must 
have  been  at  least  one  foot  and  a  half  higher.  It  is  now 
almost  entirelv  caved  in. 

No  objects  of  interest  were  found  that  could  throw 


Piece  of  Matting  from  Garabato  Cave. 

any  light  on  the  culture  of  the  builders  of  these  dwell- 
ings, except  the  fragment  of  a  stone  axe  and  a  piece  of 
matting. 

The  day  after  my  arrival  at  Chuhuichupa  I  continued 
my  journey,  now  accompanied  by  Mr.  Taylor  and  Mr. 
Meeds.  We  had  as  a  guide  an  old  Mexican  soldier,  who 
had  been  recommended  to  us  as  a  man  who  knew  the 
Sierra  Madre  better  than  anyone  else.  He  had,  no 
doubt,  lived  a  wild  life ;  had  taken  part  in  many  a 
"scrap"  with  the  Apaches,  as  his  body  showed  marks  of 
bullets  in  several  places,  and  he  had  prospected  for  gold 
and  silver,  traversing  a  good  deal  of  ground  in  the 
mountains  at  one  time  or  another.     But  topographical 


io8  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

knowledge  per  sc  does  not  necessarily  make  a  good 
guide.  Although  *'  Don  Teodoro,"  by  something  like 
instinct,  always  knew  where  he  was,  it  did  not  take  us 
long  to  discover  that  he  had  not  jiuigment  enough  to 
guide  a  pack-train,  and  his  fatuous  recklessness  caused  us 
a  good  deal  of  annoyance,  and  even  loss. 

After  leaving  the  grass-lands  of  Chuhuichupa,  we 
passed  through  extensive  pine  regions,  full  of  arroyos 
and  cordons,  and  it  struck  nic  how  silent  the  forest  was 
here.  No  animal  life  could  be  seen  or  heard.  About 
ten  miles  south  we  caught  sight  of  the  Sierra  de  Cande- 
laria,  which  suddenlv  loomed  up  in  the  southeast,  while 
the  Arroyo  de  Guaynojia  vawned  on  our  left.  We 
slowlv  ascended  a  beautiful  cordon  runninaf  toward  the 
southwest.  The  track  we  followed,  our  guide  assured 
us,  was  el  caniino  de  los  antigiios,  but  it  probably  was 
only  an  Apache  trail.  The  cordon  was  rather  narrow, 
and  from  time  to  time  gave  us  sweeping  views  of  the 
stupendous  landscape  in  one  direction  or  another,  as  the 
animals  slowly  made  their  way  up  and  finally  reached  the 
summit.  i\  grandly  beautiful  sight  awaited  us;  we  went 
a  little  out  of  our  way  to  gain  a  promontory,  which,  our 
guide  said,  was  designated  "  Punto  Magnifico."  It  was  at 
an  elevation  of  8,200  feet,  and  gave  us  certainly  the  most 
strikingly  magnificent  view  of  the  Sierra  Madre  we  yet 
had  enjoyed. 

An  ocean  of  mountains  spread  out  before  and  be- 
low us.  In  the  midst  of  it,  right  in  front  of  us,  were 
imposing  pine-clad  mesas  and  two  weathered  pinnacles 
of  reddish  conglomerate,  while  further  on  there  followed 
range  after  range,  peak  after  peak  ;  the  most  distant 
ones,  toward  the  south,  seeming  at  least  as  far  as  eighty 
miles  awav.  The  course  of  the  rivers,  as  ihev  flow  deep 
down  between  the  mountains,  was  pointed  out  to  us. 
The   j)rincii)al   one   is  the  Arros   l^iver,  which  from   the 


PUNTO   MAGNIFICO  109 

west  embraces  most  of  the  mesas,  and  then,  turning^ 
south,  receives  its  tributaries,  the  Tutuhuaca  and  the  Mu- 
latos,  the  latter  just  bcliind  a  i)innaele.  West  of  the 
Arros  Riv^er  stretches  out  the  immense  Mesa  de  los 
Aj)aches,  once  a  stronghold  of  these  marauders,  reaching 
as  far  as  the  Rio  Bonito.  The  plateau  is  also  called  "  The 
Devil's  Spine  Mesa,"  after  a  high  and  very  narrow  ridge, 
which  rises  conspicuously  from  the  mesa's  western  edge 
and  runs  in  a  northerly  and  southerly  direction,  like  the 
edge  of  a  gigantic  saw.  To  our  amazement,  the  guide 
here  indicated  to  us  where  the  camino  real  from  Na- 
cori  passes  east  over  a  gap  in  the  "  Devil's  Spine  "  ridge, 
and  then  over  several  sharp  buttes  that  descend  toward 
the  mesa.  An  odd-looking  mesa  lay  between  Rio  Bonito 
and  Rio  Satachi.  Farthest  to  the  west  were  the  big  hog- 
backs near  Nacori,  standing  out  ominously,  like  a  per- 
petuated flash  of  lightning.  The  sun  was  nearing  the 
horizon  ;  the  air  was  translucent,  and  the  entire  panorama 
steeped  in  a  dusky  blue. 

Immediately  below  us,  to  our  left,  lay  Guaynopa. 
The  mountainside  looked  so  steep  that  it  seemed  im- 
possible for  us  to  descend  from  where  we  were.  But 
we  already  heard  the  voices  of  our  muleteers  singing  out 
to  the  animals  1,000  feet  below,  and  that  reminded  us 
that  we  also  had  better  reach  camp  before  darkness 
should  overtake  us.  We  descended  2,500  feet,  and, 
leaving  the  pines  behind,  found  ourselves  in  a  warmer 
climate.  It  never  snows  here,  according  to  our  guide. 
That  the  precipitation  took  the  shape  of  rain  we  learned 
when  we  were  impeded  by  it  for  two  days. 

There  were  yet  eighteen  miles  between  us  and  the 
deserted  mines  of  Guaynopa.  It  was  a  laborious  journey 
over  the  hills,  mostly  ascent.  Finally  we  came  to  a  steep 
slope  covered  with  oaks,  along  which  there  was  a  contin- 
uous descent  toward  Guaynopa.      While  zigzagging  our 


no  INKXOWN    MEXICO 

way  down,  we  caught  sight  of  a  huge  cave  with  houses 
and  some  white  cone-shaped  structures  staring  at  us 
across  an  arroyo  midway  up  liir  ()pj)osite  side,  which 
was  at  least  two  thousand  feet  deej).  Through  my  field 
o'lasses  I  could  make  out  vcr\-  dislinctlv  a  2;roup  of 
houses  of  the  usual  pattern  ;  and  the  large,  white  struct- 
ures could  without  difficulty  be  recognised  as  granaries, 
similar  to  those  observed  in  Cave  \\dle}-.  It  was  my 
intention  to  g-o  back  and  examine  this  cave  more  closelv, 
as  soon  as  I  had  found  a  camping  place ;  but  circum- 
stances interfered.  Several  years  later  the  cave  was 
visited  bv  Mr.  G.  P.  Ramsev,  to  whom  I  owe  the  fob 
lowing  brief  description. 

The  cave  is  situated  about  twenty-five  miles  in  a 
straight  line  south  of  the  Mormon  colon v  of  Chuhui- 
chupa.  There  are  indications  of  a  spring  in  the  cave, 
and  there  is  another  one  in  the  arroyo  itself.  The 
buildings  are  in  a  very  bad  condition,  owing  to  the 
action  of  the  elements  and  animals ;  but  tifty-three 
rooms  could  be  counted.  They  were  located  on  a  rocky 
terrace  extending  from  the  extreme  right  to  the  rear 
centre  of  the  cave.  This  extreme  right  extended  slightly 
l)eyond  the  overhanging  cliff,  and  contained  groups  of 
two-storied  houses.  In  the  central  })art  of  the  cave  were 
a  number  of  small  structures,  built  of  the  same  material 
and  in  a  similar  manner  as  th(jse  I  described  as  grana- 
ries in  Cave  X'alley.  They  were  still  in  excellent  con- 
dition, and,  as  will  be  seen  at  a  glance,  they  are  almost 
identical  with  the  granaries  used  to  the  present  day  in 
some  southern  States  of  Mexico. 

We  continued  our  descent,  and,  having  dropped  alto- 
gether some  2,000  feet,  at  last  found  ourselves  along- 
side some  lonely  and  unattractive  old  adobe  houses. 
They  were  built  l)y  tiie  Spaniards  and  are  reputed  to 
have  once  been  the  smelter  of  the  now  al)an(loned  silver 


ON   OLD   TRAILS  113 

mine  of  Guayiiopa.  Only  the  naked  walls  remain 
standinor  on  a  decline,  which  was  too  steep  to  o;ive  us 
sufficient  camping-  ground.  So  we  went  still  a  little 
further,  to  the  top  of  a  hill  near  by,  where  we  made  a 
tolerably  good  camp. 

This  then  was  the  famous  locality  of  Guaynopa, 
credited  with  hiding  such  fabulous  wealth.  There  was 
still  another  mine  here  of  the  same  repute,  called 
Tayopa,  and  both  of  them  are  said  to  hav^e  been  worked 
once  by  the  Jesuits,  who  before  their  expulsion  from 
Mexico  were  in  possession  of  nearly  all  the  mines  in  the 
country.  According  to  tradition,  the  Apaches  killed 
everybody  here,  and  the  mines  were  forgotten  until  re- 
cent times,  when  ancient  church  records  and  other 
Spanish  documents  revealed  their  existence.  Several 
expeditions  have  been  sent  out,  one,  I  believe,  by  the 
Government  for  the  purpose  of  locating  them  ;  but  be- 
ing situated  in  the  roughest  and  most  inaccessible  part 
of  the  Sierra  Madre,  they  are  still  awaiting  their  redis- 
covery, unless,  contrary  to  my  knowledge,  they  have  been 
found  in  recent  years.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
country  carries  very  rich  silver  ore,  and  we  ourselves 
found  specimens  of  that  kind  ;  but  the  region  is  so  diffi- 
cult of  access  that  it  probably  would  require  too  great  a 
capital  to  work  the  mines. 

There  was  now  a  plain  track  leading  along  the  hill- 
side down  toward  the  Rio  Aros,  which  is  scarcely  two 
miles  off;  but  the  country  was  so  wild  and  rugged  that 
the  greatest  care  had  to  be  exercised  with  the  animals 
to  prevent  them  from  coming  to  grief.  The  path  runs 
along  the  upper  part  of  a  steep  slope,  which  from  a  per- 
pendicular weathered  cliff  drops  some  400  feet  down 
into  a  gorge.  As  the  declivity  of  the  slope  is  about 
forty-five  degrees,  and  the  track  in  some  places  only 
about  a  foot  wide,  there  is  no  saving  it  if  an  animal  loses 

Vol.  I.— 8 


114 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


its  foothold,  or  if  its  pack  slips.  j\ll  went  well,  how- 
ever, until  we  reached  a  point  where  the  track  com- 
menced to  descend,  when  our  villain  of  a  i2:uide  tried  to 
drive  some  burros  back  on  the  track,  instead  of  leading 
each  one  carefullv.  The  result  was  that  one  of  the  poor 
beasts  tumbled  down,  making  immense  bounds,  a  hun- 
dred feet  at  a  time,  and,  of  course,  was  killed. 

We  had  no  difficulty  in  fording  the  Guaynopa 
Creek  near  its  junction  with  the  Aros  River,  and  se- 
lected a  camping  place  on  a  terrace  200  feet  above  it. 
The  stream,  which  is  the  one  that  passes  the  cave-dwell- 
ings, carries  a  good  deal  of  limpid  water,  and  there  are 
abundant  signs  that  at  times  it  runs  very  high.  The 
elevation  of  the  ford,  which  is  here  about  the  same  as 
that  of  Aros  River,  3,400  feet,  was  the  lowest  point  we 
reached  in  our  crossing  of  the  Sierra  Madre  between 
Chuhuichupa  and  Temosachic,  It  took  us  almost  the 
entire  day  to  move  the  animals  the  one  mile  and  a  half 
to  this  camp.  On  the  way  we  had  found  some  good 
quartz  crystals  in  the  baryte,  about  four  inches  high  and 
one  inch  in  width. 

The  country  before  us  looked  more  forbidding  than 
ever,  as  if  it  did  not  want  us  to  penetrate  any  further 
into  its  mysteries,  but  our  guide  seemed  to  be  quite  at 
home  here. 

Our  march  toward  Rio  Chico  was  about  thirty  miles 
of  ups  and  downs,  ascending  to  a  height  of  7.600  feet 
and  descending  again  some  3,000  feet.  In  the  begin- 
ning it  was  almost  impossible  to  make  out  the  track  ; 
where  it  did  not  lead  over  bare  rocks,  it  was  nearly  ob- 
literated by  overgrown  grass.  The  first  ascent  was  over 
a  mile  long  in  a  straight  line  ;  then,  after  a  little  while, 
came  the  most  arduous  climbing  1  had  until  then  ever 
attempted.  Following  the  slope  of  the  mountain,  the 
track  rose  higher  and  higher  in  long  zigzags,  without  any 


TOWARD    RIO    CHICO  115 

chance  for  the  animals  to  rest,  for  at  least  three-quarters 
of  a  mile.  It  was  necessary  to  push  them  on,  as  other- 
wise the  train  would  unavoidably  have  u])set,  and  one  or 
the  other  have  rolled  down  the  declivity.  One  large 
white  mule,  El  Chino,  after  it  had  almost  climbed  to 
the  top,  turned  giddy  at  the  "  glory-crowned  height  "  it 
had  reached,  and,  sinking  on  its  hind  legs,  fell  backward 
and  rolled  heels  over  head  down,  with  its  two  large  can- 
vas-covered boxes,  like  a  big  wheel.  As  luck  would 
have  it,  it  bumped  against  a  low-stemmed  old  oak  that 
cropped  out  of  the  hillside  in  an  obtuse  angle  to  it,  some 
ninety  feet  below.  Making  one  more  turn  up  the  stem, 
the  mulew^as  nicely  caught  between  the  forked  branches, 
which  broke  the  momentum,  loosened  the  cargo,  and 
caused  the  animal  to  fall  back  into  the  high  grass.  One 
box  landed  close  by,  the  other,  containing  our  library, 
pursued  its  course  downward  200  feet  further,  bursting 
open  on  the  way  and  scattering  the  wisdom  of  the  ages 
to  the  winds,  while  the  mule  escaped  without  a  scratch. 

The  burros  came  into  camp  three  hours  after  us, 
and  the  drivers  explained  how  they  had  succeeded  in 
bringing  them  up  the  long  slope  only  by  constantly 
punching  them  to  prevent  them  from  "falling  asleep." 

As  we  continued  our  journey  toward  Rio  Chico  the 
panorama  of  the  sierra  changed  continuously.  We  got 
a  side  view  of  the  big  Mesa  de  los  Apaches,  and  many 
weathered  pinnacles  of  eroded  conglomerate  were  seen 
standing  out  like  church  spires  in  this  desert  of  rock, 
varying  in  colour  from  red  to  lead  gray.  Once  we 
caught  sight  of  a  stretch  of  the  Rio  Aros  deep  down  in 
a  narrow,  desolate  valley,  some  3,000  feet  below  us. 
The  geological  formation  of  the  region  is  mostly  vol- 
canic ;  then  follows  conglomerate,  and  on  the  high 
points  porphyry  appears. 

We  camped  on  the  crest  of  the  eastern  side  of  the 


ii6  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Rio  Chico  Canon,  in  an  ideal  place  with  bracing  air. 
A  fine,  sloping  meadow  afforded  quite  an  arcadian  view 
with  the  animals  peacefully  grazing  and  resting;  but 
looking  westward,  the  eye  revelled  in  the  grand  pano- 
rama of  the  sierra.  The  two  sides  of  the  Rio  Chico 
X^alley  rise  here  evenly  from  the  bottom  of  the  gorge  so 
as  to  suggest  the  letter  V.  In  many  places  its  brow  is 
overhung  by  precipitous  cliffs,  and  further  down  still 
more  steeply  walled  chasms  yawn  up  from  the  river  bed. 

My  chief  packer  now  became  ill  from  the  effects  of 
poison  ivy.  He  was  one  of  those  unfortunate  individ- 
uals who  are  specially  susceptible  to  it.  According  to 
his  own  statement  it  sufficed  for  him  to  pass  anywhere 
near  the  plant,  even  without  touching  it,  to  become  af- 
flicted with  the  disease.  In  this  case  he  did  not  even 
know  where  he  had  contracted  it,  until  the  cook  showed 
him  some  specimens  of  the  plant  near  an  oak  tree  close 
by  the  kitchen  tent.  The  poor  fellow's  lips  were  badly 
swollen  ;  he  had  acute  pains  in  his  eyes,  and  felt  unable 
to  move.  Sometimes,  he  said,  the  disease  would  last 
ten  days,  and  his  skin  become  so  tender  that  he  could 
not  endure  the  weight  or  contact  of  his  clothes.  But  by 
applying  to  the  afflicted  parts  of  his  body  a  solution  of 
baking  soda  in  water,  I  was  able  not  onlv  to  relieve  his 
suffering,  but  to  enable  him,  after  two  days,  to  continue 
with  us  on  our  journey. 

In  the  meantime  we  had  investigated  some  caves  in 
the  conglomerate  of  the  steep  canon  side,  about  250 
feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  gorge,  and  rather  diffi- 
cult of  access.  The  house  group  occupied  the  entire 
width  of  a  cave,  which  was  eight v  feet  across,  and  there 
was  a  foundation  wall  made  of  stone  and  timber  under- 
neath the  front  j)art.  The  walls  were  made  of  stone, 
with  mortar  of  disiniegrated  rock  that  lined  parts  of 
the   cave   and   were    plasteied    inside   and    out   with    the 


NAVERACHIC  117 

same  material.  Lintels  of  wood  were  seen  in  the  win- 
dows, and  rows  of  sticks  standing  in  a  perpendicular  po- 
sition were  found  in  two  of  the  walls  inside  of  the  plas- 
tering. On  one  side  of  the  cave,  some  two  feet  off,  was 
a  small  tower,  also  in  ruins,  measuring  inside  four  feet 
in  diameter,  while  the  walls  were  about  six  inches  thick. 

Pinnacles  of  eroded  conglomerate  are  a  prominent 
characteristic  of  the  landscape  west  of  the  Rio  Chico  ; 
further  on,  the  usual  volcanic  formation  appears  again. 
After  fully  twenty  miles  of  travel  w^e  found  ourselves 
again  in  pine  forests  and  at  an  altitude  of  7,400  feet. 
Here  we  were  overtaken,  in  the  middle  of  February,  by 
a  rain  and  sleet  storm,  which  was  quite  severe,  although 
we  were  sheltered  by  tall  pine  trees  in  a  little  valley.  It 
turned  to  snow  and  grew  very  cold,  and  then  the 
storm  was  over.  Here  a  titmouse  and  a  woodpecker 
were  shot,  and  the  bluebirds  were  singing  in  the  snow. 

Travelling  again  eleven  miles  further  brought  us  to 
the  plains  of  Naverachic,  where  we  camped.  It  was 
quite  a  treat  to  travel  again  on  comparatively  level  land, 
but,  strange  to  say,  I  felt  the  cold  so  much  that  I  had  to 
walk  on  foot  a  good  deal  in  order  to  keep  warm.  The 
word  Nav^erachic  is  of  Tarahumare  origin  ;  nave  means 
"  move,"  and  rachi  refers  to  the  disintegrated  trachyte 
formation  in  the  caves. 

We  had  just  emerged  from  a  district  which  at  that 
time  was  traversed  by  few  people  ;  perhaps  only  by 
some  illiterate  Mexican  adventurers,  though  it  had  once 
been  settled  by  a  thrifty  people  whose  stage  of  culture 
was  that  of  the  Pueblo  Indians  of  to-day,  and  who  had 
vanished,  nobody  knows  how  many  centuries  ago.  Over 
it  all  hovered  a  distinct  atmosphere  of  antiquity  and  the 
solemnity  of  a  graveyard. 


CIIAPTKR    VI 

FOSSILS,     AND     ONE     WAV     OF     UTILISING     THEM — TEMOSACHIC — THE 

FIRST    TARAHUMARES PLOUGHS  WITH  WOODEN  SHARES VISIT 

TO  THE  SOUTHERN  PIMAS — ABORIGINAL  HAT  FACTORIES — PINOS 

ALTOS — THE   WATERFALL   NEAR   JESUS   MARIA AN   ADVENTURE 

WITH    LADRONES. 

ABOUT  thirtv  miles  from  I  he  village  of  Temo- 
sachic  (in  the  Tarahumare  tongue  Remosachic 
means  Stone  Heap)  we  entered  the  plain  of  Yepo- 
mera,  and  came  upon  an  entirely  different  formation, 
limestone  appearing  in  an  almost  horizontal  layer  some 
thirty  feet  deep.  In  this  bed  the  Mexicans  frequently 
find  fossils,  and  at  one  place  four  large  fossil  bones  have 
been  utilised  as  the  corner  posts  of  a  corral  or  inclos- 
ure.  We  were  told  that  teeth  and  bones  were  acciden- 
tally found  at  a  depth  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  and 
some  bones  were  crystallised  inside.  This  formation, 
which  stretches  itself  out  toward  the  east  of  Temo- 
sachic,  but  lies  mainly  to  the  north  of  this  place,  has  an 
extent  of  about  fifteen  miles  from  north  to  south,  and 
from  three  to  four  miles  from  east  to  west. 

Fossils  picked  up  by  Mr.  Meeds  in  the  cutting  of  a 
creek  near  Yepomera  consisted  of  some  fragmentary 
teeth  and  pieces  of  bones  from  some  small  animal. 
They  were  found  in  the  hard  clay  that  underlies  the 
lime-stone.  Large  fossil  bones  also  are  said  to  have 
been  gathered  near  the  town  of  Guerrero,  Chihuahua, 
quite  recently.  It  seems  to  be  a  custom  with  the  com- 
mon people  to  make  a  concoction  of  these  "  giants' 
bones"  as  a  strengtheninir    medicine;    we   heard    of   a 


THE    FIRST    TARAHUMARES 


119 


woman  who,  being  weak  after  childbirth,  used  it  as  an 
invigorating  tonic. 

Here  in  Temosachic  we  were  joined  by  Mr.  1 1  art- 
man,  who  had  brouglit  part  of  our  baggage  from  San 
Diego  bv  wagon  in  order  to  enable  us  to  travel  as  un- 
encumbered as  possible. 

From  now  on,  until  as  far  as  the  southern  border  of 
the  State  of  Chihuahua,  the  country  is  occupied  by  the 
large  Indian  tribe  of  the  Tarahumares.     They  are  now 
confined  to  the  Sierra  Madre, 
but  in  former  times  they  also 
occupied  the  entire  plain  of 
Chihuahua,  as  far  west  as  the 
present  capital  of  that  State, 
and  in  a  narrow  strip  they 
may  have  reached  as  far  as 
100   miles   north   of   Temo- 
sachic.   They  were  the  main  ^^ 
tribe  found  in  possession  of 
the    vast   countrv    which    is 
now  the  State  of  Chihuahua, 
and  although  there  are  still 
some  25,000  left,  the  greater 

part  of  them  have  become  Mexicanised,  adopting  the 
language  and  the  customs  of  the  whites,  together  with 
their  dress  and  religion.  Father  Ribas,  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  speaks  of  them  as  very  docile  and  easily  con- 
verted to  Christianity. 

The  high  plateau  of  the  Sierra  Madre  for  a  couple 
of  hundred  miles  southward  is  not  difficult  to  follow. 
Most  of  it  is  hilly  and  clad  in  oaks  and  pines  ;  but  there 
are  also  extensive  tracts  of  fine  arable  land,  partly  under 
cultivation,  and  fairly  good  tracks  connect  the  solitary 
villages  and  ranches  scattered  over  the  district.  The 
■country   of  the  aborigines  has  been  invaded  and  most 


Tarahumare. 


120  rXKXOWN    MEXICO 

of  the  descendants  of  the  furmer  sovereigns  of  the 
reiUm  have  been  reduced  to  earning  a  precarious  living 
bv  working  for  the  white  and  mixed-breed  usurpers  on 
their  ranches  or  in  their  mines.  The  native  language, 
religious  customs,  and  dress  are  being  modified  gradually 
in  accordance  with  the  new  regime.  Only  in  the  less 
desirable  localities  have  the  Tarahumares  been  able  to 
hold  their  own  against  the  conquerors. 

There  is  not  much  interest  attached  to  the  study  of 
half-civilised  natives,  but  the  first  pure-blooded  Tara- 
humares I  met  on  their  little  ranch  about  ten  miles 
south  of  Temosachic  were  distinctly  Indian  and  very 
different  from  the  ordinary  Mexican  family.  There 
was  a  kind  of  noble  bearing  and  reserve  about  them 
which  even  the  long  contact  w^ith  condescending  whites 
and  half-breeds  had  not  been  able  to  destroy.  The 
father  of  the  family,  who,  by  the  way,  was  very  deaf, 
was  a  man  of  some  importance  among  the  native  ranch- 
ers here.  When  I  approached  the  house,  mother  and 
daughter  were  combing  each  other's  hair,  and  did  not 
allow  themselves  to  be  disturbed  by  my  arrival.  The 
younger  woman  wore  her  long  glossy  tresses  plaited  in 
Mexican  fashion.  She  evidently  was  in  robust  health 
and  had  well-moulded,  shapely  arms  and  an  attractive 
face,  with  an  eagle  nose.  She  was  beautiful,  but  I  could 
not  help  thinking  how  much  better  she  would  have 
looked  in  her  native  costume. 

On  the  road  we  had  several  times  overtaken  donkey 
trains  carrying  corn  to  the  mines  of  Pinos  Altos.  In 
the  small  Rio  \"erde  we  caught  three  kinds  of  fish  : 
suckers,  catfish,  and  Gila  trout,  which  grow  froni  one  to 
three  feet  long,  and,  according  to  Tarahumare  belief, 
change  into  otters  when  they  are  old. 

The  name  of  the  village  of  Tosanachic  is  a  Spanish 
corruption  of  the  Tarahumare  Rosanachic,  which  means 


WOODEN    PLOUGHSHARES 


121 


"Where  there  is  White,"  and  alludes  to  a  number  of 
white  roeks  or  eliffs  of  solidified  volcanic  ash,  which  rise 
to  a  height  of  some  fifty  feet  and  give  to  the  little  val- 
ley quite  a  striking  appearance.  There  are  caves  in 
these  rocks,  and  three  poor  families  of  Pima  Indians 
lived  in  some  of  them. 

In  the  village  we  noticed  the  first  Tarahumare 
plough,  the  share  of  which  was  made  of  a  section  of  oak. 
In  its  general  appearance  it  is  an  imita- 
tion of  the  ordinary  Mexican  plough, 
in  other  words,  is   simply  a  tree  stem 


Tarahumare  Plough  with  Wooden  Share.      Length,  i  Metre. 


with  a  branch  as  a  handle.  But,  however  primitive 
in  design  and  construction,  the  civilised  man's  imple- 
ment always  has  an  iron  share.  Of  course,  such  among 
the  Tarahumares  as  can  afford  iron  shares,  never  fail  to 
get  them  ;  but  in  several  parts  of  their  country  ploughs 
made  entirely  of  wood,  that  is  to  say,  ploughs  with 
wooden  shares,  are  seen.  The  foremost  part  of  such  a 
plough  is  cut  to  a  point,  and  into  a  groove  made  for 
the  purpose  a  section  of  tough  oak  is  inserted,  to  serve 
as  a  share.  It  is  held  in  place  by  the  tapering  of  the 
groove,  and  some    wedges    or    plugs.      The    share    has 


122 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


iili 


''V  '/!' 


ii',1 


Tarahumare 

Ploughshare 

Made  of  Oak. 

Length,  20.5ctm. 


naturally  to  be  renewed  quite  frequently, 
but  it  serves  its  purpose  where  the  ground 
is  not  stony.  Later  on,  in  Cusarare,  Na- 
raraehie  and  other  places,  1  found  j)louo:h- 
shares  of  stone  applied  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  were  the  wooden  ones. 

Here  at  an  elevation  of  7,600  feet,  and 
at  the  end  of  February,  I  saw  the  first 
[lowers  of  the  year,  some  very  fresh-look- 
ing yellow  Raiiuncuhis.  On  crossing  the 
ridge  to  Piedras  .Azules,  sixty-odd  miles 
south  of  Temosachic,  a  decided  change  of 
climate  and  vegetation  was  noticeable.  I 
found  another  kind  of  Ramincitlus,  as  well 
as  various  other  tlowers,  and  as  we  passed 
through  a  small  but  gorgeous  canon,  with 
the  sun  shining  against  us  through  the 
fresh  leaves  of  the  trees,  everything  in 
Nature  made  the  impression  of  spring. 
All  was  green  except  the 
ground,  which  was  gray. 
The  road  was  stony,  and 
bad  for   the  feet  of  the 


animals  ; 

altogeth- 
er the  country  present- 
ed a  new  aspect  with 
its  small  volcanic  hills, 
many  of  them  forming 
cones. 

A  few  Indian  ham- 
lets surrounded  bv 
peach  trees  in  full 
bloom  were  found  here. 
The    Indians    here   are 


Tarahumare  Ploughshares  of  Stone. 
Length,  9  and  10.5  ctm. 


SOUTHERN    PIMA    INDIANS 


123 


Pimas,  who,  in  their  irencral  characteristics,  resemble 
the  Tarahumare,  altliough  they  impress  you  as  being 
less  timid  and  suspicious,  and  more  energetic,  perhaps 
also  more  intelligent,  than  the  latter.      We  had  no  diffi- 


A 


^.l 


\ 


Young  Southern  Pima. 

culty  in  taking  some  photographs.  Among  those  who 
agreed  to  have  their  pictures  taken  was  a  dignified, 
courteous  old  man,  who  thought  he  was  a  hundred 
years  old,  but  w^as  probably  only  eighty.  He  showed 
me  some  scars  on  his  body,  which  were  a  souvenir  from 
a  fight  he  once  had  with  a  bear. 

In  order  to  see  more  of  the  Southern  Pimas  I  went 


1^4 


UNKN(3WN    MEXICO 


to  the  ncar-hv  villa<jc  of  Vepacliic,  which  I  think 
is  also  a  Tarahumare  name,  yepa,  meaning  snow. 
There  are,  liowever,  more  Mexicans  than  Pimas  in  the 
village,  and  the  presidente  was  a  half-caste  Tarahumare  ; 


Middle-aged  Southern  Pima. 

he  was  once  a  shepherd,  hut  had    made  money   by  trad- 
ing mescal  to  the  natives — six  bottles  for  a  cow. 

Although  the  Pimas  whom  I  visited  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, were  very  reserved,  and  even  more  Indian-like 
than  the  Tarahumares  I  had  seen  so  far,  still  in  their 
dress  they  showed  more  traces  of  advancing  civilisation 


MINING   INFLUENCES  127 

tlian  Ihc  latter  tribe.  lu('r\  thing  here  betrays  the 
nearness  of  the  mines,  witli  the  eharacteristic  accom- 
l)animent  of  cheap  clothes,  cheap,  tawdry  jewelry,  and 
a  slight  influx  of  iron  cooking  utensils.  The  Pimas, 
like  the  Tarahu mares,  use  pine 
cones  for  combs ;  and  we 
picked  up  several  discarded 
ones  near  their  houses. 

I  went   still  fifteen    miles 
further  northward,  but  found 

^,,  ^       /•,,       T      !•  j^t  Pine  Cone  Serving  as  a  Comb. 

that  most  01  the  Indians  there  '^ 

had  gfone  to  the  Pinos  Altos  mines  to  look  for  work. 
That  "  March  comes  in  like  a  lion  "  I  realised  even  here 
in  the  sierra,  when,  on  this  excursion,  on  which  I  had  not 
taken  my  tent  along,  I  was  overtaken  by  a  snow-storm. 
We  had  gone  to  bed  with  the  stars  for  a  canopy,  clear 
and  beautiful ;  we  woke  up  under  blankets  of  snow, 
which  turned  to  rain,  drenching  us  to  the  skin  and 
making  us  shiver  with  cold. 

I  saw  several  small,  shallow  caves,  and  learned  that 
many  of  them  were  utilised  by  the  Pimas  during  the 
wet  season.  I  also  passed  a  rock-shelter,  which  served 
as  a  permanent  home.  The  housewife  was  busy  mak- 
insf  straw  hats.  She  was  verv  shv,  as  her  husband  was 
away  ;  but  I  elicited  the  information  that  she  gets  two 
reales  (25  cents)  for  each  hat.  The  making  of  straw 
hats  and  mats  is  quite  an  industry  among  the  Pimas. 
In  the  houses  thev  have  a  cellar-like  dug-out  outside 
of  the  dwelling  and  covered  with  a  conical  roof  of  dry 
grass.  These  cellars,  in  manv  cases,  serve  not  only  as 
the  work-rooms,  but  also  as  store-rooms  for  their  stock 
in  trade. 

In  one  or  two  instances  I  found  Pima  families 
living  in  open  inclosures,  a  kind  of  corral,  made  from 
cut-down   brushwood.      1   noticed  two  small  caves  that 


12^ 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


had    been    transformed    into     storehouses,    by    planting 
poles  along  the  edge  and  plastering  these  over  with  mud, 

to  make  a  solid  wail,  beliind 
which  corn  was  stored. 

In  Vcjiachic  I  estimated 
there  were  about  twenty 
Pima  families.  1  had  some 
diflicultv  in  inducing  them 
to  ])ose  before  the  camera  ; 
the  presidente  himself  was 
afraid  of  the  instrument, 
thinking  it  was  a  diabolo 
(devil). 

There  are  probably  not 
more  than  sixty  Pima  fam- 
ilies within  the  State  of  Chihuahua,  unless  there  arc  more 
than  I  think  near  Dolores.  Some  twenty-odd  families 
of  these  live  in  caves  during  the  wet  season,  and  a  few 
of  them  are  permanent  cave-dwellers.  I  understand 
that  the  Pimas  in  Sonora  utilise  caves  in  the  same  way. 
I  made  an  excursion  from  the  mine  of  Pinos  Altos 
(elevation  7,100  feet)  to  Rio  Moris,  about  ten  miles 
west,  where  there  are  some  l)urial  caves ;  but  they  had 
already  been  much  disturbed  by  treasure  seekers,  and  I 


Southern  Pima  Arrow  Release. 


L__SS 


Small  Crosses  Placed  in  a  Log  in  Front  ot  Southern  Pima  House. 

could  secure   onlv  a   c<)U])le   of   skulls.      An    interesting 
feature  of  the   landscaj)c  near  l\io    Moris  is  a  row   of 


SIGHT-SEEING 


129 


lai'o^c  reddish  pinnacles, 
wliich  rise  perpendicu- 
larly from  the  river-bed 
up  along  the  hillside, 
and  form  a  truly  im- 
posing spectacle.  An 
excited  imagination 
may  see  in  them  so 
many  giants  suddenly 
petrified  while  walk- 
ing up  the  mountain. 
Around  Pinos  Altos 
and  Jesus  Maria  the 
rock  is  of  blue  porphy- 
ry, quite  hard  in  places, 
and  speckled  with  little 
white  patches.  It  is 
in  this  rock  that  the 
gold-  and  silver-bear- 
ing quartz  occurs. 

Through  the  cour- 
tesy of  the  bullion- 
convoy  I  was  enabled 
to  dispatch  some  of  my 
collections  via  Chihua- 
hua to  the  museum  at 
New"  York,  among 
other  things  eight  fine 
specimens  of  the  giant 
woodpecker. 

Then,  sending  my 
train  ahead,  I  made 
with  a  guide  a  little 
detour    to     visit     the 

Vol.  I. — 9 


The  Waterfall  of  Basasiachic. 


130  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

beautiful  walerfall  near  Jesus  Maria.  It  is  formed  by 
the  River  Basasiachic,  which,  except  during  the  wet 
season,  is  small  and  insignificant.  Before  the  fall  the 
stream  for  more  than  a  hundred  yards  runs  in  a  narrow 
but  deep  channel,  which  in  the  course  of  ages  it  has  worn 
into  the  hard  conglomerate  rock.  The  channel  itself  is 
full  of  erosions  and  hollowed-out  places  formed  by  the 
constant  grinding  and  milling  action  of  the  rapidly  rush- 
ing water,  and  the  many  large  pebbles  it  carries.  Just 
at  the  very  brink  of  the  rock,  a  low  natural  arch  has  been 
eroded,  and  over  this  the  stream  leaps  almost  perpendic- 
ularly into  the  deep  straight-walled  canon  below.  The 
height  of  the  cascade  has  been  measured  by  a  mining 
expert  at  Pinos  Altos,  and  found  to  be  980  feet.  Set  in 
the  most  picturesque,  noble  environments,  the  fall  is 
certainly  worth  a  visit. 

I  arrived  at  its  head  just  as  the  last  rays  of  the  setting 
sun  were  gilding  the  tops  of  the  mountains  all  around. 
The  scenery  was  beautiful  beyond  description.  Above 
and  around  towered  silent,  solemn  old  pine-trees,  while 
the  chasm  deep  down  was  suffused  with  a  purple  glow. 
About  midway  down  the  water  turns  into  spray  and 
reaches  the  bottom  as  silently  as  an  evening  shower,  but 
as  it  recovers  itself  forms  numerous  whirlpools  and 
rapids,  rushing  through  the  narrow  gorge  with  an  inces- 
sant roar.  When  the  river  is  full,  during  the  wet  season, 
the  cascade  must  present  a  splendid  sight. 

I  wanted  to  sec  the  fall  from  below.  The  guide,  an 
elderly  man,  reminded  me  that  the  sun  was  setting,  and 
warned  me  that  the  distance  was  greater  than  it  seemed. 
We  should  stumble  and  fall,  he  said,  in  the  dark.  But 
as  I  insisted  on  going,  he  put  me  on  the  track,  and  I 
started  on  a  rapid  run,  jumping  from  stone  to  stone, 
zigzagging  my  way  down  the  mountainside.  Tiie  entire 
scenery,  the  wild,  precipitous  rocks,  the  stony,  crooked 


NIGHT  GUARD  131 

path,  the  roaring  stream  below — everythinor  reminded 
me  of  mountains  in  Norway,  where  I  had  run  along 
many  a  sdter  path  through  the  twilight,  alone,  just  as 
I  was  running  now. 

As  luck  would  have  it,  I  met  an  Indian  boy  coming 
up  from  the  river,  where  he  had  been  trout  fishing,  and  I 
asked  him  to  accompany  me,  which  he  did.  About 
half-way  down  we  arrived  at  a  little  promontory  from 
which  the  fall  could  be  seen  very  well.  The  rock  seemed 
to  be  here  the  same  as  on  top,  showing  no  sign  of  strati- 
fication. A  few  yards  from  the  point  we  had  reached 
was  a  spring,  and  here  we  made  a  fire  and  waited  for 
the  moon  to  rise.  To  make  him  more  talkative,  I  gave 
the  boy  a  cigarette.  He  spoke  only  Spanish,  and  he 
told  me  that  he  had  neither  father  nor  mother,  and 
when  his  uncle  died  he  was  quite  alone  in  the  world  ; 
but  a  Mexican  family  brought  him  up,  and  he  seemed 
to  have  been  treated  well.  At  present  he  was  paying 
two  dollars  a  month  for  his  board,  earning  the  money 
by  selling  grass  in  Pinos  Altos. 

At  nine  o'clock  we  began  to  ascend  through  the 
moonlit  landscape.  I  had  left  my  mule  some  hundred 
yards  from  the  fall,  and  here  I  also  found  the  guide. 
At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  arrived  at  my  camp. 

The  road  continued  through  rather  monotonous 
country,  the  altitude  varying  from  6,300  to  7,700  feet. 
Grass  began  to  be  scarce,  and  the  animals  suffered  ac- 
cordingly. It  is  the  custom  with  Mexican  muleteers  to 
select  from  among  themselves  a  few,  whose  business 
throughout  the  journey  it  is  to  guard  the  animals  at  night. 
These  men,  immediately  after  having  had  their  supper, 
drive  the  animals  to  a  place  where  suitable  pasture  is 
found,  never  very  far  from  the  camp,  and  bring  them 
back  in  the  morning.  They  constitute  what  is  called 
la  sabana.     Comparatively  few  men  suffice  for  this  duty, 


132  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

even  with  a  large  herd,  as, long  as  they  have  with  them 
a  leader  of  tlie  mules,  a  mare,  preferably  a  white  one. 
She  mav  be  taken  along  solely  for  this  ])urj)ose,  as  she 
is  often  too  old  for  any  other  work.  The  mules  not  in- 
frequently show  something  like  a  fanatie  attachment  for 
their  yegua,  and  follow  blindly  where  they  hear  the  tink- 
ling of  the  bell,  which  is  invariably  attached  to  her  neck. 
She  leads  the  pack-train,  and  where  she  stops  the  mules 
gather  around  her  while  waiting  for  the  men  to  come 
and  relieve  them  of  their  burdens.  Sometimes  a  horse 
may  serve  as  a  leader,  but  a  mare  is  surer  of  gaining  the 
affection  of  all  the  mules  in  the  train.  This  is  an  im- 
portant fact  for  travellers  to  bear  in  mind  if  they  use 
mules  at  all.  In  daytime  the  train  will  move  smoothly, 
all  the  mules,  of  their  own  accord,  following  their 
leader,  and  at  night  keeping  close  to  her.  In  this  way 
she  prevents  them  from  scattering  and  becomes  indis- 
pensable to  the  train. 

But  in  spite  of  the  vigilance  of  the  sabana  and  the 
advantage  of  a  good  yegua,  it  may  happen,  under  favour- 
able topographical  and  weather  conditions,  that  robbers 
succeed  in  driving  animals  away.  While  giving  the 
pack-train  a  much-needed  rest  of  a  day  in  a  grassy  spot, 
we  woke  next  morning  to  find  five  of  our  animals  miss- 
ing. As  three  of  the  lot  were  the  property  of  my  men, 
they  were  most  eagerly  looked  for.  The  track  led  up  a 
steep  ridge,  over  very  rough  country,  which  the  Mexi- 
cans followed,  however,  until  it  suddenly  ran  up  against 
a  mountain  wall  ;  and  there  the  mules  were  found  in 
something  like  a  natural  corral. 

Not  until  then  did  our  guide  inform  me  that  there 
lived  at  Calaveras  (skulls),  only  three  miles  from  where 
we  were  stopping,  a  band  of  seven  robbers  and  their 
chief,  Pedro  Chaparro,  who  was  at  that  time  well-known 
throughout  tiiis  part  of  tlie  Tarahumare  country.     I  had 


A  FAMOUS  HIGHWAYMAN 


133 


no  further  experience  witli  him,  hut  hiter  heard  much  of 
this  man,  who  was  one  of  a  ty{)e  now  rapidly  disappear- 
ing in  Mexico.  He  did  not  confine  his  exploits  to  the 
Mexicans,  i)ut  victimised  also  the  Indians  whenev^er  he 
got  an  opportunity,  and  there  are  many  stories  in  circu- 
lation about  him. 

On  one  occasion  he  masqueraded  as  a  })adre,  a  black 
mackintosh  serving  as  his  priestly  garb.  Thus  attired 
he  went  to  the  unsophisticated  Tarahu- 
mares  in  the  more  remote  valleys  and 
made  them  send  out  messengers  to  ad- 
vise^ the  people  that  he  had  come  to 
baptise  them,  and  that  they  were  all  to 
gather  at  a  certain  place  to  receive  his 
blessings.  For  each  baptism  he  charged 
one  goat,  and  by  the  time  he  thought 
it  wise  to  retire  he  had  quite  a  respect- 
able herd  to  drive  home.  When  the 
Indians  found  out  that  they  had  been 
swindled,  they  caught  him  and  put  him 
into  jail,  intending  to  kill  him  ;  but  un- 
fortunately some  of  his  Mexican  con- 
freres heard  of  his  plight  and  came  to 
his  rescue.  However,  a  few  years  later, 
this  notorious  highwayman,  who  had 
several  murders  to  answ^er  for, 
was  caught  by  the  government 
authorities  and  shot. 

On  the  road,  as  we  travelled 
on,  we  met  many  Tarahumares 
carrying  on  their  backs  trays 
{hiiaca/cs)  with  apples,  which  they  were  taking  to  mar- 
ket. The  price  per  tray  was  $2,  and  the  apples  were 
delicious. 

At  night  it  was  very  cold,  the  thermometer  falling  to 


Tarahumare  Ploughman. 


'34 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


1 3°  below  the  freezing'  point.  I  was  sorry  to  learn  from  m v 
men  that  the  prospeets  of  grass  further  south  were  small. 
At  the  village  of  Boeoyna  (elevation  7,100  feet) 
we  were  400  miles  from  San  Diego  by  the  track  we  had 
made.  Boeoyna  is  a  corruption  of  the  Tarahumare 
Ocoina  (oc6=pine  ;  ina-drips  ;  meaning  Dripping  Pine, 
or  Turpentine).     Here  I   had  to  stop  for  two  days,  be- 


Ancient  Stone  Hammer  Seen  in  the  Presiciente's  Yard.     Length,  44.5  ctm. 

cause  no  less  than  six  of  us,  including  myself,  were  suf- 
fering from  the  grippe,  which  a  piercing,  dry,  cold  wind 
did  not  tend  to  alleviate.  However,  as  the  worst  cases 
did  not  last  more  than  five  days,  we  soon  were  all  well 
again,  though  the  Mexicans  were  almost  overcome  by 
the  effects  of  the  disease. 

The  presidente  here  was  a  powerful-looking  half- 
caste  and  very  original.  After  I  had  read  to  him  twice 
my  letter  from  the  governor  of  the  state,  in  which  the 
people  were  told,  among  other  things,  to  promote  the 
success  of  the  expedition  in  everv  wav.  especially  by 
selling  us  what  provisions  we  needed  and  not  to  over- 
charge us,  he,  by  way  of  obeying  the  orders  of  his 
superior,  immediately  ordered  that  not  more  than  $6 
should  be  charired  for  a  faneg^a  of  corn.      He  also  had  at 


INDIAN  RANCHP:S  13^ 

once  four  nice,  fat    hens  killed   and   sold   them   to  us  at 
the  market  price. 

7\fter  we  passed  Bocoyna,  the  country  for  ten  miles 
was  flat,  but  fertile.  It  was  gratifying  to  observe  that 
here  the  Indians  had  some  ranches  with  considerable 
land  still  left  to  them.  We  passed  several  such  home- 
steads lying  close  together,  and  as  many  as  four  yokes 
of  oxen  were  ploughing,  each  attended  by  a  Tarahu- 
mare,  whose  entire  clothing  consisted  of  a  breech-cloth. 
The  Indians  here  are  very  numerous  and  they  are  still 
struggling  to  resist  the  encroachments  of  the  whites 
upon  their  land,  though  the  ultimate  result  is  in  all  cases 
the  same. 


CHAPTER    Vn 

THE     UNCONTAMINATED      TAR  A  HUM  ARES — A      TARAHUMARE     COURT 

IN     SESSION THE     POWER     OF     THE     STAFF JUSTICE      HAS     ITS 

COURSE BARRANCAS EXCURSION  TO  THE  GENTILES TARA- 
HUMARE COSTUMES  SIMPLE  AND  INEXPENSIVE — TRINCHERAS  IN 
USE    AMONG    THE    TARAHUMARES 

WE  were  lucky  enough  to  secure  a  guide  who 
spoke  the  Tarahumare  language  very  well,  and 
our  next  stop  was  at  the  pueblo  of  Cusarare  (a  Spanish 
corrui)tion  of  Usarare,  usaka  =  eagle),  an  Indian  village 
situated  in  a  rather  rough  country  full  of  weathered  por- 
phyry rocks.  We  made  camp  a  few  miles  outside  of 
the  village  and  sent  the  guide  to  prepare  the  peoj^le  for 
our  coming.  There  had  recently  been  considerable  talk 
among  the  Mexicans  of  the  wild  i)eople  in  the  deep 
gorges,  called  barrancas,  and  it  was  with  no  little  antici- 
pation that  I  approached  the  countrv  now  immediately 
before  us.  There  were  no  Mexicans  living  in  Cusarare, 
nor  in  the  country  ahead  of  us  ;  in  fact,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  tlie  small  mining  camj)  in  Barranca  de  Cobre, 
there  were  none  within  fifty  miles  to  the  south,  and 
almost  an  equal  distance  from  east  to  west. 

Indian  pueblos  throughout  Mexico  are  almost  aban- 
doned for  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  I  refer,  of 
course,  only  to  those  which  have  not  yet  become  Mexi- 
can settlements.  The  first  thing  the  missionaries  in  the 
early  times  had  to  do  was  to  force  tin-  Indians  to  leave 
their  scattered  ranches  and  form  a  ]uicblo.  To  make  a 
place  a  pueblo  they  had  to  build  a  church.      The  Indians 

136 


MISSIONARY  EFFORTS 


J  37 


were  pressed  into  serviee  to  erect  the  building,  and  kept 
at  work,  if  necessary,  by  a  troop  of  soldiers   who  often 


Tarahumare  Indians  truiu  I'liio  GoiUu. 

accompanied   the  missionaries  and  in  this  way  assisted 
them  in  spreading  the  gospel. 

From  the  missionaries'  point  of  view  this  was  a  very 
practical  arrangement  ;  but  the  ])urpose  of  having  the 
Indians  remain  in  the  villages  has  not  been  accomplished 


138  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

to  this  dav.  Only  the  native-chosen  authorities,  who  are 
obHged  to  reside  there  durin<j^  I  heir  icrm  of  office,  form 
something"  hke  a  j)ernianent  po})uhui()n  in  the  pueblos. 
The  natives  come  together  only  on  the  occasion  of 
feasts,  and  on  Sundavs,  to  worship  in  tiie  way  they  un- 
derstand it.  Someone  who  knows  the  short  prayer, 
generally  the  gobernador,  mumbles  it,  while  the  congre- 
tration  cross  themselves  from  time  to  time.  If  no  one 
present  knows  the  prayer,  the  Indians  stand  for  a  while 
silently,  then  cross  themselves,  and  the  service  is  over. 

After  church  they  meet  outside  for  the  second  pur- 
pose that  brings  them  to  the  village,  namely,  the  trans- 
action of  whatever  judicial  business  may  be  on  hand, 
generally  the  adjustment  of  a  theft,  a  marriage,  etc. 

I  arrived  in  the  pueblo  on  a  Sunday,  and  a  great 
many  Indians  had  come  in.  Easter  was  approaching, 
and  every  Sunday  during  Lent,  according  to  early  mis- 
sionaries' custom,  the  so-called  "Pharisees"  make  their 
appearance.  These  are  men  who  play  an  important 
part  in  the  Easter  festival,  which  always  lasts  several 
days.  They  paint  their  faces  hideously,  tog  themselves 
up  with  feathers  on  their  sombreros,  and  carry  wooden 
swords  painted  with  red  figures.  Such  ceremonies  were 
a  clever  device  of  the  Jesuits  and  Franciscan  missiona- 
ries to  wean  the  Indians  from  their  native  feasts  by  offer- 
ing them  something  equally  attractive  in  the  new  religion 
they  were  teaching.  The  feasts  are  still  observed,  while 
the  teachings  are  forgotten. 

I  found  the  people  assembled  before  the  old  adobe 
church,  where  they  had  just  finished  their  service.  The 
gobernador  at  once  attracted  my  attention  as  he  stood 
with  his  large  white  blanket  wrapj:>ed  around  him,  In- 
dian fashion,  up  to  his  chin — a  fine,  almost  noble  per- 
sonality, with  a  benign  expression  on  his  eagle  face. 

The  Indian  never  allows  anything  to  interfere  with 


A  TARAHUMARP:  court  139 

whatever  business  he  may  liave  on  liand,  l)e  it  public  or 
private.  Presently  all  rose,  and  eiij^ht  men,  the  author- 
ities of  the  pueblo,  marched  in  two  rows  to  the  court 
house,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  people.  There  is 
always  found  near  the  church  a  commodious  building", 
called  La  Comunidad,  originally  intended  as  city  hall, 
court  house,  and  hotel.  In  this  case  it  was  so  dilapi- 
dated that  the  judges  and  officers  of  the  court  about  to 
be  held  took  seats  outside  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  one 
of  the  walls.  They  were  preparing  to  administer  justice 
to  a  couple  of  offenders,  and  as  this  is  the  only  occasion 
on  which  I  have  seen  the  details  of  Indian  judicial  proce- 
dure carried  out  so  minutely  as  to  suggest  early  mission- 
ary times,  I  am  happy  to  record  the  affair  here  in  full. 

The  gobernador  and  four  of  the  judges  seated  them- 
selves, white  man's  fashion,  on  a  bench  erected  for  the 
purpose,  where  they  looked  more  grand  than  comfort- 
able. Two  of  them  held  in  their  right  hands  canes  of 
red  Brazil  wood,  the  symbol  of  then-  dignity.  The  idea 
of  the  staff  of  command,  sceptre,  or  wand,  is  wide  spread 
among  the  Indians  of  Mexico ;  therefore,  when  the 
Spaniards  conquered  the  various  tribes,  they  had  little 
difficulty  in  introducing  their  batons  (la  vara),  as  em- 
blems of  authority,  which  to  this  day  are  used  bv  the 
gobernadors  and  other  officials.  They  are  made  much 
in  the  same  way  as  the  ancient  staffs,  and  of  the  same 
material,  the  heavy,  red  Brazil  wood.  Below  the  head 
of  these  canes  there  is  always  a  hole  bored,  and  through 
this  a  leather  thong  is  passed,  by  which  the  staff  is  hung 
up  on  the  wall  when  not  in  use.  Those  of  the  highest 
authorities  are  ornamented  with  silver  caps ;  the  lesser 
officers  have  smaller  canes,  in  proportion  to  the  degrees 
of  their  dignity,  while  the  lowest  officials  have  only  a 
thin  stick,  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  through  the 
hole  of  which  a  red  ribbon  is  jiassed.     11ie  small  canes 


140 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


are  not  carried  in  the  luuul,  hut  stuck  in  the  girdle  on 
the  left  side.  Nobody  summoned  before  the  judges  by 
a  messenjrer  carrvin^:  a  staff  of  red  Biazil  wood  dares  to 
disobey  the  command.  The  most  desperate  criminal 
meekly  goes  to  his  doom,  following  often  a  mere  boy, 
if  the  latter  has  only  a  toy  vara  stuck  in  his  belt  with 
the  red  ribbons  hanging  down.  It  is  the  vara  the 
Indians  respect,  not  the  man  who  carries  it. 

No  supreme  court  in  any  civilised  community  is  so 


Tarahumare  Court  in  Session  at  Cusarare. 


highly  respected  and  so  implicitly  obeyed  as  were  the 
simple,  grave  men  sitting  in  front  of  the  crumbling 
adobe  wall  and  holding  on  to  their  canes  with  a  solem- 
nity that  would  have  been  ridiculous,  if  it  had  not  been 
sublime. 

Four  "  soldiers  "  formed  a  line  on  each  side.  There 
was  nothing  to  distinguish  them  from  ordinary  civilians, 
except  their  "lances,"  or  bamboo  sticks  to  which  bayo- 
net   points    had    been    fastened.       These    lances   they 


THE  POWER  OF  THE  STAFF  141 

planted  in  the  ground  and  seated  tliemselv^es.  Pres- 
ently the  two  culprits,  a  man  and  a  woman,  came  for- 
ward, with  never  a  suggestion  in  their  placid  faces  that 
they  were  the  chief  actors  in  the  drama  about  to  be 
enacted.  They  seated  themselves  in  front  of  the  judges, 
while  the  witnesses  took  their  places  behind  them. 
The  mother  of  the  woman  sat  close  by  her  guilty 
daupfhter,  but  there  w^as  no  other  exhibition  of  senti- 
ment.  The  judges  did  most  of  the  talking,  addressing 
questions  to  the  defendants,  who  made  a  few  short  an- 
swers ;  the  rest  of  the  assemblage  observed  a  decorous 
silence.     There  were  neither  clerks  nor  lawyers. 

I  was,  of  course,  not  able  to  follow  the  testimony, 
but  it  was  very  short,  and  it  was  explained  to  me  that 
the  woman  had  run  away  with  a  married  man.  They 
had  provided  themselves  with  plenty  of  corn  from  the 
man's  former  home,  and  furthermore  had  stolen  some 
beans,  and  lived  very  happy  in  a  cave  for  a  year.  The 
man  could  not  be  captured,  even  though  on  several 
occasions  he  visited  his  family.  But  they  frequently 
made  native  beer,  and  got  drunk,  and  while  in  this 
condition  they  were  caught  and  brought  before  this 
tribunal. 

While  the  trial  was  going  on,  one  of  the  "soldiers" 
got  up  and  went  some  twenty  yards  off,  dug  a  hole  in 
the  ground  and  planted  a  thick  pole  or  post  in  it.  No 
sooner  had  he  completed  his  task,  when  the  accused 
man  rose  with  a  queer  smile  on  his  face,  half  chagrined, 
half  sarcastic.  Dropping  his  blanket,  he  walked  delib- 
erately up  to  the  pole,  flanked  by  two  soldiers,  each  of 
whom  took  hold  of  his  hands,  and  by  putting  them 
•crosswise  on  the  further  side  of  the  pole,  made  the  cul- 
prit hug  the  pole  very  tightly.  Now  another  man, 
wrapped  closely  in  his  blanket,  stepped  briskly  up, 
drew  as  quick  as  a  flash  a  leather  whip  from  under  his 


142  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

garment,  and  dealt  lour  lashes  over  the  shoulders  of  the 
prisoner,  who  was  then  released,  and  stolidly  walked 
baek  to  his  seat,  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

Now  came  the  woman's  turn  to  be  punished  for  her 
part  in  the  thefts.  They  took  off  her  blanket,  but  left 
on  a  little  white  undergarment.  She  was  marched  to 
the  pole  and  held  in  the  same  manner  as  the  man  ;  but 
another  man  acted  as  executioner.  She,  too,  received 
four  lashes,  and  wept  a  little  when  they  struck  her  ;  but 
neither  she  nor  her  fellow-sufferer  made  any  attempt  at, 
or  sign  of,  revolt  against  the  sentence  of  the  court. 
While  the  chastising  went  on,  the  audience  rose  and 
stood  reverently.  After  returning  to  her  seat,  the  woman 
knelt  down,  and  both  delinquents  shook  hands  with  the 
chief  judge. 

There  still  remained  the  second  part  of  the  accusa- 
tion to  be  dealt  with,  the  one  relating  to  the  marital 
complications.  The  man  asked  permission  to  leave 
his  tirst  wife,  as  he  wanted  to  marry  the  woman  with 
whom  he  ran  away.  But  no  divorce  was  granted  to 
him.  He  was  ordered  to  return  to  his  legitimate 
spouse,  who  was  present  at  the  proceedings  with  her 
child  in  her  arms.  Evidently  disappointed,  he  slowly 
stepped  over  to  where  she  was  standing  and  greeting 
him  with  a  happy  smile. 

But  the  woman  with  whom  he  had  been  living  had 
now  to  be  provided  with  another  husband.  Who 
would  take  her  ?  The  judge  addressed  the  question  to 
a  young  man,  a  mere  boy,  standing  near  by,  and  he  re- 
plied that  he  would  marry  her,  if  she  were  willing.  She 
said  yes,  so  he  sat  down  beside  her.  Their  hands  were 
placed  together,  the  gobernador  said  a  few  admonishing 
words  to  them,  and  they  rose,  man  and  wife,  duly  mar- 
ried. How  was  this  for  rapid  transit  to  matrimonial 
bliss? 


BARRANCAS 


H3 


The  next  day  the  guide  took  us  uj)  along  some  high- 
er ridges,  and  after  ten  or  twelve  miles  of  slow  ascent, 
we  arrived  at  the  summit  of  Barranca  de  Cobre,  where 
we  made  a  comfortahle  camp  about  half  a  mile  back  of 
the  point  at  which  the  track  descends  into  the  canon. 
Here  we  had  an  inspiring  view;  deep  gorges  and  ra- 
vines, the  result  of  {)rolonged  weathering  and  erosion, 
gashing  the  country  and  forming  high  ridges,  especially 
toward  the  south  and  west.  In  other  words,  here  we 
observed  for  the  first  time  barrancas,  which  from  now 
on  form  an  exceedingly  characteristic  feature  of  the 
topography  of  the  Sierra  Madre.  These  precipitous 
abysses,  which  traverse  the  mighty  mass  of  the  sierra 
like  huge  cracks,  run,  as  far  as  Sierra  Madre  del  Norte 
is  concerned,  mainly  from  east  to  west.  In  the  coun- 
try of  the  Tarahumare,  that  is  to  say,  the  State  of  Chi- 
huahua, there  are  three  very  large  barrancas.  They  are 
designated  as  Barranca  de  Cobre,  Barranca  de  Batopi- 
las,  and  Barranca  de  San  Carlos.  The  Sierra  Madre 
del  Norte  runs  at  an  altitude  of  from  7,000  to  8,000 
feet,  at  some  points  reaching  even  as  high  as  9,000  feet. 
It  rises  so  gradually  in  the  east,  for  instance,  when  en- 
tered from  the  direction  of  the  city  of  Chihuahua,  that 
one  is  surprised  to  be  suddenly  almost  on  top  of  it. 
The  western  side,  however,  falls  off  more  or  less  abrupt- 
ly, and  presents  the  appearance  of  a  towering,  ragged 
wall.  In  accordance  with  this  general  trait  of  the 
mountain  system,  the  beginnings  of  the  barrancas  in 
the  east  are  generally  slight,  but  they  quickly  grow 
deeper,  and  before  they  disappear  in  the  lowlands  of 
Sinaloa  they  sometimes  reach  a  depth  of  from  4,000  to 
5,000  feet.  Of  course,  they  do  not  continue  equally 
narrow  throughout  their  entire  length,  but  open  up 
gradually  and  become  wider  and  less  steep. 

Besides   these    large    barrancas,    which    impede    the 


144 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


traveller  in  the  higiilands  and  necessitate  a  course  tow- 
ard the  east,  there  are  innumerable  smaller  ones,  espe- 
cialh'  in  the  western  part  of  the  range,  where  large 
portions  of  the  country  are  broken  up  into  a  mass  of 
stupendous,  rock-walled  ridges  and  all  but  bottomless 
chasms.  A  river  generally  fiows  in  the  barrancas  be- 
tween narrow  banks,  which  occasionally  disappear  al- 
altogether,  leaving  the  water  to  rush  between  abruptly 
ascending  mountain  sides. 

As  far  as  the  first  of  the  large  barrancas  was  con- 
cerned, near  the  top  of  which  we  were  standing,  we 
could  for  some  little  distance  follow  its  windings  tow- 
ard the  west,  and  its  several  tributaries  could  be  made 
out  in  the  landscape  by  the  contours  of  the  ridges. 
Barranca  de  Cobre  is  known  in  its  course  by  different 
names.  Near  the  mine  of  Urique  (the  Tarahumare  word 
for  barranca),  it  is  called  Barranca  de  Urique,  and  here 
its  yawning  chasm  is  over  4,000  feet  deep.  Even  the 
intrepid  Jesuit  missionaries  at  first  gave  up  the  idea  of 
descending  into  it,  and  the  Indians  told  them  that  only 
the  birds  knew  how  deep  it  was.  The  traveller  as  he 
stands  at  the  edge  of  such  gaps  wonders  whether  it  is 
possible  to  get  across  them.  They  can  in  a  few  places 
be  crossed,  even  with  animals  if  these  are  lightly  load- 
ed, but  it  is  a  task  hard  upon  flesh  and  blood. 

It  was  in  these  barrancas,  that  I  was  to  find  the  gen- 
tile (pagan)  Indians  I  was  so  anxious  to  meet.  From 
where  I  stood  looking  at  it  the  country  seemed  forgot- 
ten, lonely,  untouched  by  human  hand.  Shrubs  and 
trees  were  clinging  to  the  rocky  brows  of  the  barrancas, 
and  vegetation  could  be  seen  wherever  there  was  suf- 
ficient earth  on  the  mountain  and  the  sides  of  the  ra- 
vines ;  but,  on  the  whole,  the  country  looked  rather 
barren  and  lifeless. 

Still,  it  (lid  not  take  us  lono-  to  find  traces  of  human 


03 


INDIAN   HOSPITAMTIES  147 

bein^i^s.  Our  tents  were  pitehed  on  an  old  trlnchera. 
Cut  deep  into  a  rough  ledge  not  far  off  was  the  rough 
carving  of  a  serpent,  sixty  feet  long,  that  must  have  been 
left  here  by  a  race  antecedent  to  the  Tarahumares.  And 
a  little  further  off  we  came  u})on  the  ruins  of  a  modern 
Tarahumare  house.  It  seems  as  if  the  Indians  must  ex- 
tract a  living  out  of  the  rocks  and  stones  ;  though  when 
we  got  down  into  the  barranca  and  into  the  ravines  we 
came  upon  patches  of  land  that  could  be  cultivated  ; 
and  there  were  some  small  areas  of  pasture,  although 
extremely  precipitous. 

The  tirst  thing  to  do  was  to  despatch  the  guide  into 
the  valleys  and  gorges  below,  which  from  our  camping 
place  could  not  be  seen,  only  surmised,  that  he  might 
persuade  some  Tarahumares  to  act  as  carriers  on  an  ex- 
cursion I  contemplated  making  through  the  region.  In 
a  couple  of  days  a  party  was  made  up,  consisting,  be- 
sides myself,  of  Mr.  Taylor,  the  guide,  two  Mexicans, 
and  five  Tarahumares  with  their  gobernador.  Bundles 
weighing  from  forty  to  seventy-five  pounds  w^ere 
placed  on  the  backs  of  the  Indians  and  the  Mexicans; 
even  the  guide  took  a  small  pack,  though  it  would 
have  been  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  gobernador  to 
take  a  load  upon  himself.  But  his  company  was 
valuable  on  account  of  his  great  influence  with  his 
people. 

It  was  an  exceedingly  interesting  excursion  of  sev- 
eral days'  duration.  Owing  to  the  presence  of  the  go- 
bernador the  Indians  received  us  well.  Nobody  ran 
away,  though  all  were  extremely  shy  and  bashful,  and 
the  women  turned  their  backs  towards  us.  But  after  a 
while  they  would  offer  us  beans  from  a  j)ot  cooking 
over  the  fire.  They  served  them  in  earthenware  bowls 
with  a  couple  of  tortillas  (corn  cakes).  In  another 
vessel,   which  they   passed   around  among  us,   they  of- 


148 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


fered  the  flavouring,  coarse  salt  and  some  small  chile 
(Spanish  peppers),  which  vegetable  is  cultixated  and 
much  relished  by  the  Tarahumares. 

But  the  most  interesting  dish  was  iskiate,  which   I 
now  tasted  for  the  first  time.      It  is  made  from  toasted 


Our  Tarahumare  Carriers  and  the  Gobernador. 

corn,  which  is  mixed  with  water  while  being  ground  on 
the  metate  until  it  assumes  the  consistency  of  a  thick 
soup.  Owing  to  certain  fresh  herbs  that  are  often  added 
to  the  corn,  it  mav  be  of  a  greenish  color,  but  it  is  alwavs 
cool  and  tempting.  After  having  tramped  for  several 
days  over  many  miles  of  exceedingly  rough  country,  I 
arrived  late  one  afternoon  at  a  cave  where  a  woman 
was  just  making  this  drink.  T  was  very  tired  and  at  a 
loss  how  to  climb  the  mountain-side  to  my  camp,  some 
2,000  feet  above  ;  but  after  having  satisfied  my  hunger 
and  thirst  with  some  iskiate,  offered  by  the  hospitable 
Indians,  I  at  once  felt  new  strength,  and,  to  my  own 
astonishment,   climbed   the  Q-reat   heiMit  without   much 


TARAHIMARE   COSTUME 


149 


effort.  /\ftcr  this  1  always  fuuiul  iskiatc  a  friend  in 
need,  so  streno;tlieninj(T  and  refreshing-  that  I  may  al- 
most elaini  it  as  a  diseovery,  interesting"  to  mountain 
climbers  and  others  exposed  to  great  physical  exertions. 
The  preparation  does  not,  howev^er,  agree  with  a  seden- 
tary life,  as  it  is  rather  indigestible. 

The  dress  of  the  Tarahumare  is  always  very  scanty, 
even  where  he  comes  in  contact  with  the  whites.     One 


Tarahumare  Men. 


may  see  the  Indians  in  the  mining  camps,  and  even  in 
the  streets  of  the  city  of  Chiiiuahua,  walking  about 
naked,  except  for  a  breech-cloth  of  coarse,  home-spun 
woollen  material,  held  up  around  the  waist  with  a  girdle 


1  ;o 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


woven  in  characteristic  desifjns.  Some  may  supplement 
this  national  costume  with  a  tunic,  or  short  poncho  ; 
and  it  is  only  right  to  add  that  most  of  the  men  are  pro- 
vided with  well-made  blankets,  which  their  women 
weave  for  them,  and  in  which  they  wrap  themselves 
when  they  go  to  feasts  and  dances.     The  hair,  when  not 

worn  loose,  is  held  together 
with  a  home-woven  ribbon,  or 
a  piece  of  cotton  cloth  rolled 
into  a  band  ;  or  with  a  strip  of 
palm  leaf.  Often  men  and 
women  gather  the  hair  in  the 
back  of  the  head,  and  men  may 
also  make  a  braid  of  it. 

The  women's  toilet  is  just 
as  simple.  A  scrimpy  woollen 
skirt  is  tied  around  the  waist 
with  a  girdle,  and  over  the 
shoulders  is  worn  a  short 
tunic,  with  which,  however, 
many  dispense  when  at  home 
in  the  barranca.  The  women, 
too,  have  blankets,  though 
with  them  they  are  not  so 
much  the  rule  as  with  the 
men.  Still,  mothers  with 
babies  always  wear  blankets, 
to  support  the  little  ones  in  an 
uj)right  position  on  their  backs, 
the  blanket  being  tightly  wrapped  around  mother  and 
child.  The  women  nowadays  generally  wear  sandals 
of  the  usual  Mexican  cowhide  pattern,  like  the  men  ; 
but  there  is  ample  evidence  to  prove  that  such  was  not 
the  case  in  former  times. 

The  people  are,  for   Indians,  not  especially  fond  of 


Tarahumare  Woman. 


USES   OF   ORNAMENTS 


151 


ornaments,  and  it  is  a  j)cculiar  fact  that  mirrors  have  no 
special  attraction  for  them.  They  do  not  like  to  look 
at  themselves.  The  women  often  wear  ear- 
ornaments  made  of  triangular  pieces  of  shell 
attached  to  bead  strings,  or  deck  themselves 
with  strings  of  glass  beads,  of  which  the 
large  red  and  blue  ones  are  favourites ;  and 
necklaces  made  from  the  seed  of  the  Coix 
Lachryma-Jobi  are    used    by    both    sexes, 

chiefly  for  medicinal 
purposes.  The  men 
wear  only  single 
strings  of  these  seeds, 
wdiile  the  necklaces 
of  the  women  are 
wound  several  times 
around  the  neck.  The 
shaman,  or  medicine- 
man —  a  priest  and 
doctor  combined — is 
never  without  such  a 
necklace  when  offici- 
ating at  a  feast.     The 

seed     is     believed    to         Tarahumare 

possess   many  medici-   Ear-Ornament: 
,  ...  ,     ^        one    seed    Coix 

nal  qualities,  and  for  Uchryma-Jobi 
this  reason  children,  at  top.  Natural 
too,  often  wear  it. 

Peasant  women  in  Italy  and 
Spain  use  the  same  seed  as  a  pro- 
tection against  evil,  and  even  Amer- 
ican women  have  been  known  to 

put  strings  of  them  on  teething  children  as  a  soothing 

remedy. 

An  important  fact  I   established  is  that  the  Indians 


Necklace  of  Seeds  of 
Coix  Lachryma-jfobi. 


152  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

in  the  barrancas,  in  tliis  part  of  the  country,  use  some- 
thing like  trincheras  for  tlie  cultivation  of  their  little 
crops.  To  obtain  arable  land  on  the  mountain  slopes 
the  stones  are  cleared  from  a  convenient  spot  and  uti- 
lised in  the  construction  of  a  wall  below  the  field  thus 
made.  The  soil  is  apt  to  be  washed  away  by  heavy 
rains,  and  the  wall  not  only  prevents  what  little  earth 
there  is  on  the  place  from  being  carried  off,  but  also 


Tarahumare  Ranch  near  Barranca  de  Cohre,  showing  ploughed  fields 
supported  by  stone  walls. 

catches  what  may  come  from  above,  and  in  this  way 
secures  sufficient  ground  to  yield  a  small  croj).  Fields 
thus  made  can  even  be  ploughed.  On  the  slopes  of  one 
arroyo  I  counted  six  such  terraces,  and  in  the  moun- 
tainous country  on  the  Rio  Fuerte,  toward  the  State  of 
Sinaloa,  chile,  beans,  s(]uashes,  Coix  Lachryina-Jobi,  and 
bananas  are  raised  on  trincheras  placed  across  the  arroyos 
that  run  down  the  hills.  There  they  have  the  form  of 
small   terraces,  and   remind  one  of  similar  ones  found 


u 


CQ 


IKRKACES  155 

farther  north  as  ancient  ruins,  to  such  an  extent  that 
one  might  suj)pose  tliat  the  Tarahumares  have  made  use 
of  the  rehcs  of  antiquity.  Mr.  llartman  in  one  long 
arroyo  thereabouts  observed  four  at  some  distance  from 
one  another.  Thev  were  from  four  to  ten  feet  high, 
and  as  broad  as  the  little  arroyo  itself,  some  eight  to 
sixteen  feet. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    HOUSES    OF    THE    TARAHUMARES — AMERICAN    CAVE-DWELLINGS 

OF     TO-DAY FREQUENT     CHANGES     OF     ABODE     BY     THE     TARA- 

HUMARE — THE      PATIO      OR      DANCING      PLACE — THE      ORIGINAL 
CROSS    OF    AMERICA TARAHUMARE    STORE-HOUSES. 

THE  houses  we  saw  on  this  excursion  were  of  re- 
markable uniformity,  and  as  the  people  have  had 
very  little,  if  any,  contact  with  the  whites,  it  is  reason- 
able to  infer  that  these  structures  are  original  with  them. 
On  a  sloping  mesa  six  families  were  living  in  such  build- 
insfs  not  far  from  one  another. 

These  houses  have  a  frame  of  four  forked  poles, 
planted  firmly  into  the  ground,  to  form  a  square  or  rect- 
angle. Two  joists  are  laid  over  them  parallel  to  each 
other.  Under  one  of  them,  in  the  front  of  the  house,  is 
the  doorway.  The  joists  support  the  flat  roof  of  loose 
pine  boards,  laid  sometimes  in  a  double  layer.  The  rear 
joist  is  often  a  foot  or  so  lower  than  the  front  one, 
which  causes  the  roof  to  slant  towards  the  back.  The 
l)oards  may  simply  be  logs  split  in  two  and  with  the  bark 
taken  off.  The  walls  are  made  by  leaning  boards,  ends 
up,  against  the  roof,  while  the  door  consists  of  a  number 
of  boards,  which  are  removed  or  replaced  according  to 
convenience.  In  most  instances  the  doorway  is  pro- 
tected from  the  outside  against  wind  and  weather  by  a 
lean-to.  Access  to  the  house  is  gained  sideways,  even 
where  a  small  vestibule  is  built,  extra  poles  being  driven 
in  the  ground  to  support  the  porch-roof  boards. 

While  this  style  of  architecture  may  be  said  to  be 
typical   throughout   the  Tarahumarc  country,  there   are 

•5^> 


TAKAHLMARE    DWELLINGS 


»57 


many  variations.  Generally  attempts  are  made  to  eon- 
struct  a  more  solid  wall,  bt)ards  or  poles  being"  laid 
lengthwise,  one  on  top  of  the  other,  and  kept  in  plaee 
t)\'  sliding  the  ends  between  double  uprights  at  the 
eorners.  Or  they  may  be  placed  ends  up  along  the 
side  of  the  house  ;  or  regular  stone  walls  may  be  built, 
with  or  without  mud  for  mortar.  Even  in  one  and  the 
same  house  all  these  kinds  of  walls  may  be  observed. 
A  type  of  house  seen  throughout  the  Tarahumare  coun- 


Tarahumare  House  near  Barranca  de  Cobre. 


try,  as  well   as   among  the   pagan   Tarahumares   in   the 
Barranca  de  Cobre,  is  shown  in  the  illustration. 

It  is  also  quite  common  to  see  a  frame  work  of  onlv 
two  upright  poles  connected  with  a  horizontal  beam, 
against  which  boards  are  leaning  from  both  sides,  mak- 
ing the  house  look  like  a  gable  roof  set  on  the  ground. 
There  are,  however,  always  one  or  more  logs  laid  hori- 
zontally and   overhung   by  the    low  eaves  of  the  roof, 


158 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


while  the  front  and  vcav  avc  carelessly  filled  in  with 
boards  or  1op:s,  either  horizontally  or  standino;  on  ends. 
In  the  hot  country  this  style  of  house  may  be  seen 
thatched  with  palm-leaves,  or  with  grass. 

The  dwelling  ma\-  also  consist  only  of  a  roof  resting 
on   four  uprights  {jaia/)  ;  or  it   may   be  a  mere  shed. 


Tarahumare  House  in  the  Hot  Countrv. 

There  are  also  regular  log-cabins  encountered  with 
locked  corners,  especially  among  the  southern  Taraliu- 
mares.  Finally,  when  a  Tarahumare  becomes  civilised, 
he  builds  himself  a  house  of  stone  and  mud,  with  a  roof 
of  boards,  or  thatch,  or  earth. 

It  is  hardly  possible  to  find  within  the  Tarahumare 
country  two  houses  exactlv  alike,  although  the  main 
idea  is  always  easily  recognised.  The  dwellings,  though 
very  airy,  afford  sufficient   protection  to  i)eople  who  are 


CAVE   DWELLINGS   OE   TO-DAY 


159 


by  no  means  sensitiv^c 
to  drafts  and  climatic 
changes.  The  Tarahu- 
mares  do  not  expect 
their  houses  to  be  dry 
during  the  wet  season, 
but  are  content  when 
there  is  some  dry  sj^ot 
inside.  If  the  cold 
troubles  them  too 
much,  they  move  into 
a  cave.  Many  of  the 
people  do  not  build 
houses  at  all,  but  are 
permanent  or  transient 
cave-dwellers.  This 
fact  I  thoroughly  in- 
vestigated in  subse- 
quent researches,  ex- 
tending over  a  year 
and  a  half,  and  cover- 
ing the  entire  width 
and  breadth  of  the 
Tarahumare  country. 

In  this  land  of 
weather-worn  porphv- 
ry  and  inter-stratified 
sandstone,  natural 
caves  are  met  with 
everywhere,  in  which 
the  people  find  a  con- 
venient and  safe  shel- 
ter. Although  it  may 
be  said  that  houses  are 
their  main  habitations, 


Cappe  ot  Sandstone  Pillar,  showing  effect 
of  erosion. 


i6o  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

still  the  Taraliumarcs  live  in  caves  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  may  be  fitly  called  the  American  cave-dwellers  of 
the  present  age. 

Caves  were  man's  first  abode,  and  the\'  are  found  in 
certain  geological  formations  in  all  parts  of  the  globe. 
Human  imagination  always  peopled  the  deep,  dark  cav- 
erns with  terrible  monsters  guarding  treasures,  and 
legends  and  fairy  tales  still  cling  about  many  of  them. 
Shallow  caves,  however,  have  from  the  earliest  time 
attracted  man  to  seek  shelter  in  them,  just  as  the  ani- 
mals took  refuge  in  them  against  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather.  Prehistoric  man  in  Europe  was  a  cave- 
dweller,  and  modern  investigations  have  given  us  a  clear 
and  vivid  picture  of  the  life  of  the  ancient  race,  who  ex- 
isted in  France  while  the  mammoth  and  the  reindeer 
were  roaming  over  the  plains  of  western  Europe. 

As  civilisation  advanced,  under  changing  climatic 
conditions,  and  as  man  began  to  improve  his  tools  and 
im])lements,  he  deserted  the  caves  and  preferred  to  live 
in  houses  of  his  own  buildins^.  But  a  lono-  time  after 
the  caves  had  been  abandoned  as  abodes  of  the  living, 
they  were  still  used  for  interring  the  dead.  Do  we  not 
remember  the  story  told  in  Genesis,  how  Abraham 
bought  for  400  shekels  a  cave  from  Ephron  that  he 
might  bury  Sarah  there  and  have  a  family  tomb  ? 

The  cave-dwellers  of  France  vanished  many  thou- 
sand years  ago;  but  there  are  yet  in  several  parts  of  the 
globe,  for  instance,  in  Tunis  and  in  Central  Africa, 
races  who  still  adhere  to  the  custom  of  living  in  caves, 
although  their  condition  of  life  is  different  from  that  of 
the  antediluvian  cave-dwellers. 

In  Mexico  the  cave-dwellers  are  in  a  transitory 
state,  most  of  them  having  adopted  houses  and  sheds  ; 
but  many  of  them  are  still  unable  to  perceive  why  they 
should  give  up  their  safe  and  comfortable  natural  shel- 


CHANGES   OF   ABODE 


161 


teis  for  rickety  abodes  of  their  own  making.  Padre 
Juan  Fonte,  the  pioneer  missionary  t(j  tlie  Tarahumares, 
who  penetrated  into  their  country  eighteen  leagues  from 
San  Pal)lo,  toward  Guachochic,  speaks  of  the  numerous 
caves  in  that  country  and  relates  that  many  of  them 
were   divided   into  small    houses.      Other    records,    too, 


Tarahumare  Family  Camping  under  a  Tree. 

allude  to  the  existence  of  cave-dwellers  in  that  part  of 
the  Sierra  Madre.  Still,  the  fact  of  there  being  cave- 
dwellers  to-day  in  Mexico  was  until  recently  known 
only  to  the  Mexicans  living  in  their  neighbourhood, 
who  regard  this  condition  of  things  as  a  matter  of 
course. 

Vol.  I.— II 


l62 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


While  most  of  the  Tarahumares  live  permanently  on 
the  highlands,  a  great  many  of  them  move  for  the  win- 
ter down  into  the  barranca,  on  account  of  its  warmer 
temperature,  and,  if  they  have  no  house,  they  live 
wherever  they  find  a  convenient  shelter,  preferably  a 
cave ;  but  for  want  of  better  accommodations  they  con- 
tent themselves  with  a  rock  shelter,  or  even  a  spreading 
tree.      This  would  suit  them  well  enouoh  were  it  not 


Inhabited  Cave,  the  Home  of  a  Tarahumare  Belle. 

that,  at  least  in  recent  years,  there  has  not  been  rain 
enough  in  the  barrancas  to  enable  the  people  to  raise 
there  the  corn  they  need.  They  therefore  go  back  to 
the  highlands  in  March,  because  in  the  higher  altitudes 
rainfall  can  be  depended  upon  with  more  certainty. 
The  general  custom  among  the  Indians  living  near  to  a 
barranca  is  to  plant  two  crops  of  corn  ;  one  in  early 
March  on  the  crest,  and  the  other  one  in  June,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  rainy  season,   down    in  the  barranca,. 


NOMADIC    HABITS 


163 


and  aflcr  having"  hai vested  at  l)otli  places  they  retire  to 
their  winter  quarters  to  enjoy  themselves.  Sometimes 
the  cave  of  a  family  is  not  more  than  half  a  mile  from 
their  house,  and  they  live  alternately  in  one  or  the  other 

abode,  because  the 
Tarahumares  still  re- 
tain their  nomadic 
instincts,  and  even 
those  living  perma- 
nently on  the  high- 
lands change  their 
domicile  very  fie- 
quently.  One  reason 
is  that  they  follow 
their  cattle;  another 
that  they  impr(jve 
the  land  by  living  on 
it  for  a  while  ;  but 
there  are  still  other 
reasons  for  moving 
s  o  m  u  c  h  about, 
which  are  known 
only  to  themselves. 
In  summer  many 
people  leave  their 
caves  on  account  ot 
the  scorpions,  tar- 
antulas, and  other 
pests  that  infest 
them. 

In  front  of  the  entrance  to  the  cave  there  is  gener- 
ally a  wall  of  stone,  or  of  stone  and  mud,  raised  to  the 
height  of  a  man's  chest,  as  a  protection  against  wind 
and  weather,  wild  beasts,  etc.  The  cave  is  fitted  up  just 
like  the  houses,  with  grinding  stone,  earthen   jars    and 


The  Belle  of  the  Cave. 


164 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


bowls,  baskets,  gourds,  etc.  The  fire  is  always  in  the 
middle,  without  hearth  or  chimney,  and  the  jars  in  which 
the  food  is  cooked  rest  on  three  stones.  A  portion  of 
the  ofround   is  levelled   and   made  smooth  for  the  familv 


I  i^"" 


Side  View  of  Cave  on  Page  165,  Showing  Store-Houses  and  Inclosure. 

to  sleep  on.  As  often  as  not  there  are  skins  spread  out 
on  the  floor.  Sometimes  the  floor  space  is  extended  by 
an  artificial  terrace  in  front  of  the  cave.  In  a  few  cases 
the  floor  is  plastered  with  adobe,  and  I  have  seen  one  cave 
in  which  the  sides,  too,  were  dressed  in  the  same  way. 


Inhabited  Cave,  Sho\ving  Store-Houses,  Inclosure,  and  Extended  Floor. 


CAVE    COMFORTS  167 

Generally  there  arc  one  or  two  store-houses  in  tlie  caves, 
and  these  constitute  the  chief  improvement.  Of  course, 
there  are  a  good  many  caves  where  there  are  no  store- 
houses ;  still  they  are  the  striking  feature  of  the  cave. 
A  few  times  1  found  walls  of  stone  and  mud  erected  in- 
side of  the  cave,  breast  high,  to  partition  off  one  or  two 
rooms  for  the  use  of  the  family,  as  well  as  for  the  goats 
and  sheep.  Often,  inclosures  are  built  of  wooden  fences 
for  the  domesticated  animals  and  occupy  the  greater  part 
of  the  cave. 

The  largest  inhabited  cave  I  have  seen  was  nearly  a 
hundred  feet  in  width  and  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  in 
depth.  If  caves  are  at  all  deep,  the  Indians  live  near 
the  mouth.  They  never  excavate  caves,  nor  do  they 
live  in  dug-outs.  I  heard  of  one  arroyo,  where  six  in- 
habited caves,  only  thirty  or  fifty  yards  apart,  can  be  seen 
at  one  time  ;  but  this  is  a  rare  case.  Generally  they  are 
farther  apart,  maybe  a  hundred  yards  to  a  mile,  or  more  ; 
and  that  suits  the  Tarahumares  very  well,  each  family 
preferrmg  to.  live  by  itself. 

In  one  place  I  saw  a  cave,  or  rather  a  shelter  under 
a  big  boulder,  utilised  as  a  dwelling  ;  and  here  a  kind  of 
parapet  had  been  built  of  stone  gravel,  terrace  fashion, 
to  enlarge  the  area  of  the  cave  floor. 

Inhabited  caves  are  never  found  in  inaccessible 
places,  as  is  the  case  with  cliff-dwellings  in  the  south- 
western part  of  the  United  States,  Where  caves  are 
difficult  of  access,  the  Indians  may  place  a  wooden 
ladder,  or  rather,  a  notched  tree  trunk,  which  is  the 
national  style  of  staircase.  Once  I  saw  steps  cut  into 
the  soft  "  rock  "  (solidified  volcanic  ash),  leading  up  to 
a  dwellinor.  There  was  also  a  kind  of  settee  cut  out  of 
the  cave-wall. 

Many  of  the  caves  are  remarkably  symmetrical  in 
shape,  and  naturally  quite  comfortable.     Caves  may  be 


i68  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

found  in  the  arrovos  in  tiic  iiiuiilands,  as  well  as  in  the 
barrancas.  If  I  were  to  desic^nate  a  region  where  they 
are  more  plentifid  than  cl  sew  Ik- re,  1  should  mention  the 
countrv  from  Carichic  towards  Urique,  and  also  to  the 
north  and  west  of  Norogachic.  Many  caves  have  with- 
in the  memory  of  man  been  permanently  abandoned, 
owing  to  the  occupancy  of  the  land  by  the  Mexicans,  as 
the  Indians  dislike  to  be  near  the  wdiites. 

The  Tarahumares  are  not  the  only  tribe  still  clinging 
to  caves.  As  we  have  seen,  the  Pimas,  too,  are,  to  a 
limited  extent,  cave-dwellers,  and  the  same  is  the  case 
with  the  northern  Tepehuanes,  as  well  as  with  the  allied 
Huarogios  in  their  small  area. 

Are  these  cave-dwellers  related  to  the  ancient  cliff- 
dwellers  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  United  States 
and  northern  Mexico  ?  Decidedly  not.  Their  very 
aversion  to  living  more  than  one  family  in  a  cave  and 
their  lack  of  sociability  mark  a  strong  contrast  with  the 
ancient  cliff-dwellers,  who  were  by  nature  gregarious. 
The  fact  that  the  people  live  in  caves  is  in  itself  ex- 
tremely interesting,  but  this  alone  does  not  prove  any 
connection  between  them  and  the  ancient  cliiT-dwellers. 
'"Although  the  Tarahumare  is  very  intelligent,  he  is 
backward  in  the  arts  and  industries.  It  is  true  that  the 
women  weave  admirable  designs  in  girdles  and  blankets, 
but  this  seems  to  be  the  utmost  limit  of  their  capabili- 
ties. In  the  caves  they  sometimes  draw  with  ochre 
clumsy  figures  of  animals  and  women,  and  on  some 
rocks  may  be  seen  outlines  of  feet  scratched  with  stone 
"in  order  to  leave  their  imprinl  in  this  world  when  they 
die."  Tarahumare  pottery  is  exceedingly  crude  as  com- 
pared with  the  work  found  in  the  old  cliff-dwellings,  and 
its  decoration  is  infantile  as  contrasted  with  the  clifT- 
dwellers'  work.  The  cliff-dwellers  brought  the  art  of 
decoration  to   a  com])aratively  high  state,  as  shown  in 


CAVE-DWELLEKS'  CUSTOMS  171 

the  relics  found  in  their  dweUings.  But  the  cave- 
dweller  of  to-day  shows  no  suggestion  of  such  skill. 
Moreover,  he  is  utterly  devoid  of  the  architectural  gift 
which  resulted  in  the  remarkable  rock  structures  of  the 
early  cliff-dwellers.  These  people  as  far  as  concerns 
their  cave-dwelling  habits  cannot  be  ranked  above  trog- 
lodytes. 

The  Tarahumare  never  lives  all  his  life  in  one  house 
or  cave  ;  nor  will  he,  on  the  other  hand,  leave  it  forever. 
He  rarely  stays  away  from  it  for  more  than  two  or  three 
years.  A  family,  after  inhabiting  a  house  for  a  time 
may  suddenly  decide  to  move  it,  even  if  it  is  built  of 
stone.  The  reason  is  not  always  easy  to  tell.  One 
man  moved  his  house  because  he  found  that  the  sun 
did  not  strike  it  enough.  After  a  death  has  occurred  in 
a  dwelling,  even  though  it  was  that  of  a  distant  relative 
incidentally  staying  with  the  family,  the  house  is  de- 
stroyed, or  the  cave  permanently  abandoned  ;  and  many 
other  superstitious  apprehensions  of  one  kind  or  an- 
other may  thus  influence  the  people.  Very  often  a 
man  moves  for  the  sake  of  benefiting  the  land,  and 
after  tearing  down  his  house  he  immediately  plants  corn 
on  the  spot  on  which  the  house  stood.  A  family  may 
thus  change  its  abode  several  times  a  year,  or  once  a 
year,  or  every  other  year.  The  richest  man  in  the 
Tarahumare  country,  now  dead,  had  five  caves,  and 
moved  as  often  as  ten  times  in  one  year. 

A  never  absent  feature  of  the  Tarahumare  habita- 
tion, be  it  house  or  cave,  is  a  level,  smooth  place  in 
front  of  it.  This  is  the  dancing  place,  or  patio,  on  which 
he  performs  his  religious  exercises,  and  he  may  have 
more  than  one.  The  formation  of  the  land  may  even 
oblige  him  to  build  terraces  to  obtain  space  enough  for 
his  religious  dances. 

On  this  patio,  which  measures  generally  about  ten 


172 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


together   in  the  form  of  the    Latin   cross 


yards  in  every  direction,  one,  two,  or  three  crosses  are 
planted,  as  the  central  object  of  all  ceremonies  (except 
those  in  the  cidt  of  the  sacred  cactus  hikuli*).  The 
cross  is  generally  about  a  foot  high  ;  sometimes  it  stands 
two  feet  above  ground.  It  is  made  of  two  sticks  of 
unequal    length,    preferably    sticks  of    pine  wood,  tied 

I  saw  two 
crosses  raised  outside  of  a 
man's  house,  which  were 
formed  by  the  natural 
growth  of  small  pine  trees, 
and  these  were  four  feet 
high.  The  shamans,  for 
their  curing,  use  small 
crosses  —  three  or  four 
inches  long. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact 
that  on  their  arrival  in 
America  the  Spaniards  to 
their  amazement  found 
Indians  in  possession  of 
the  ci"OSS.  Omitting  here 
the  cross  of  Palenque,  the 
svmbol  of  a  tree,  the  tree 
of  life,  it  is  safe  to  sav  that  the  original  cross  of  most 
Mexican  tribes  is  the  Greek  cross,  though  the  Latin  was 
also  used.  To  them  the  former  is  of  fundamental  re- 
ligious moment,  as  indicating  the  four  corners  of  the 
world  ;  but  a  word  for  cross,  or  anything  corresponding 
tf)  it,  docs  not  occur  in  the  language  of  anv  of  the  tribes 
known  to  me.  Nevertheless  the  cross  (the  Greek), 
to  the  Indian  the  symbol  of  a  cosmic  idea,  is  pecked 
on  the  rocks,  or  drawn  on  the  sand,  or  made  in  corre- 
sponding strokes  with  medicine  over  the  patient's  body. 

*See  page  356. 


Crosses  Made  from  the  Natural 
Growth  of  Pine-trees  in  Front  of 
Tarahumare  House. 


TARAHUMARE   CROSSES 


173 


With  the  Tarahuniarc  the  eross  is  the  pivot  around 
Avhich  all  his  ceremonies  and  festivals  move.  He  al- 
ways dances  to  the  eross,  and  on  certain  occasions  he 
attaches  strings  of  beads,  ears  of  corn,  and  other  offer- 
ings to  it.  It  is  used  by  the  heathen  as  well  as  by  the 
Christian  Tarahumares.  The  question  is  whether  this 
tribe  has  changed  its  form 
since  its  contact  with  the 
whites  or  whether  the  cross 
was  originally  like  the  one 
in  use  to-day.  From  many 
of  the  Tarahumares'  utter- 
ances I  incline  to  think 
that  their  cross  represents 
a  human  figure  with  arms 
outstretched,  and  is  an  em- 
bodiment of  Father  Sun, 
the  Perfect  Man.  When 
two  crosses  are  placed  on 
the  patio,  the  smaller 
stands  for  the  moon.  This 
conception  also  explains 
the  custom  of  setting  up 
three  crosses  at  the  princi- 
pal dance,  the  rutuburi, 
the  third  cross  representing  probably  the  Morning  Star. 
Among  Christianised  natives  the  three  crosses  may  come 
gradually  to  mean  the  Trinity. 

On  one  occasion  I  saw  a  cross  at  least  ten  feet  high 
with  a  cross  beam  onlv  one  foot  lona^,  raised  next  to 
two  crosses  of  ordinary  size,  all  standing  on  the  patio 
of  a  well-to-do  Indian,  and  the  inference  was  easily 
drawn  that  the  high  cross  was  meant  for  Father  Sun. 
The  Northern  Tepehuanes  sav  that  the  cross  /s  Tata 
Dies,  the  Christianised  Indian's  usual  designation  of  God. 


S#^.. 


Crosses  in  Front  ot  Tarahumare  House. 


174 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


The  impression  that  the  cross  represents  a  luinian 
figure  gains  further  probability  by  the  fact  that  a  cross 
is  erected  on  the  special  patio  of  the  dead,  and  I  have 
noticed  that  this  cross  is  moved  in  the  course  of  the 
ceremonies  to  the  principal  dancino-   place  "to  seethe 


Front  View.  Rear  View. 

Cross.      Height,  65  ctm.;  width,  27.^  ctm. 

dancing  and  drink  tesvino,"  as  the   Indians  explained  it. 
Surely,  this  cross  represented  the  dead. 

On  this  page  are  seen  the  front  and  rear  view  of  a 
cross  which  is  of  great  interest,  although  its  shape  is 
evidentlv  an  exaggerated   imitation  of  a   Catholic  cross 


INDIAN    SYMBOLISM 


/3 


or  crucifix.     I  came  upon  it  in  the  mountainous  country 
east  of  Morelos,  and  the  Tarahumares  near  the  Ranch  of 
Colorados  present-    . 
ed    it    to    me.      It    \ 
had  apparentlv^  not 
been     made     long 
ago,  and  was  paint- 
ed with  red  ochre. 
The      arms     have 
been  tied  on  in  the 
usual  fashion  with 
a  twine  of  fibre,  the 
mode  of  fastening 
it   appearing   most 
distinctly    on    the 
back  of  the  cross. 

Seen  from  the 
front  the  designs 
on  the  head,  or  the 
uppermost  part, 
represent  the  Morn, 
ing  Star,  the  dots 
being  his  compan- 
ions, the  other  stars. 
But  it  is  significant 
that  this  constella- 
tion is  also  called 
the  "  eyes  "  of  the 
cross.  The  dots  on 
the  other  side  of 
the  cross  are  also 
meant  for  stars,  in 
order  that,  as  the 
Indian  explained  to  me,  Tata  Dios  may  see  the  stars 
where  they  are  dancing ;  he  lives  in  the  stars — a  belief 


Tarahumare  Store-house  ot  Stones  and  Mud. 


,76 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


evidently  arising"  from   Catholic   intlucnce.     The  human 
figures  painted  on  the  cross  are  intended  to  emphasise 

its  meaninii;.  The 
most  important  of 
these  human-like 
contours  are  those 
directh'  below  the 
junction  of  the 
arms  with  the  ver- 
tical stem.  They 
arc  evidently  repe- 
titions of  the  main 
cross,  the  arms  be- 
ing" expressed  in 
the  crude  carvings. 
What  the  various 
pairs  of  curved 
side  lines  mean,  I 
am  unable  to  say. 

What  is  of  more 
importance  to  the 
Tarahumare  than 
his  dwelling  is  his 
store-house,  which 
he  always  builds 
before  his  domi- 
cile. In  fact,  his 
personal  comfort  is 
made  secondary 
even  to  that  of  his 
domestic  animals. 
As  a  survival  of 
the  time  when  he 
had  no  house  at  all  ma\  be  noted  the  fact  that  husband 
and  wife,  aftei   having  been  awa)-  on  a  joiuney  for  several 


Caves  Uicd  as  Siorc-houscs. 


STORE-HOUSES 


// 


(lavs  or  lonjrcr,  do  not  on  the  fust  ni<jlit  after  their  return 
sleep  in  the  house  or  cave,  but  at  some  convenient  place 
near  the  store-house. 

These  store-houses  are  always  well  put  together, 
thou<»;h  many  of  them  are  not  large  enough  to  accom- 
modate a  medium-sized  dog,  the  Tarahumares  preferring 
number  to  size.  In  them  he  stores  what  little  property 
he  has  beyond  that  in  actual  use,  chiefly  corn  and  beans, 
some  spare  clothing  and  cotton  cloth,  hikuli,  herbs,  etc. 
The  door  of  the  house  is  made  from  one  or  more  short 
boards  of  pine  wood,  and  is  either  provided  with  an  in- 
geniously constructed  wooden  lock,  or  the  boards  are 
simply  plastered  up  with  mud  along  the  four  edges. 
The  Tarahumare  rarely  locks  his  house  on  leaving  it, 
but  he  is  ever  careful  to  fasten  the  door  of  his  store- 
house securelv,  and  to  break  open  a  store-house  sealed 
up  in  the  manner  described  is  considered  the  most  hei- 
nous crime  known  to  the  tribe.  Mexicans  have  com- 
mitted it  and  have  had  to  pay  for  it  with  their  lives. 

The  most  common  kind  of  store-house  is  from  four 
to  six  feet  high,  round,  and  built  of  stones  and  mud, 
with  a  roof  of  pine  boards,  weighed  down  with  earth 
and  stones.  Other  store-houses  of  similar  size  are 
square  and  built  of  boards  with  corners  interlocked. 
Thev,  too,  are  covered  with  boards.  These  diminutive 
buildings  are  often  seen  inside  of  caves  ;  or  else  they 
are  erected  in  places  difficult  of  access,  on  tops  of 
boulders,  for  instance.  Sometimes  they  are  seen  in 
lonely  places,  more  often,  however,  near  the  dwellings ; 
and  the  little  round  structures  make  a  curious  effect 
when  erected  on  boulders  in  the  vicinity  of  some  hut, 
looking,  as  they  do,  like  so  many  diminutive  factory 
chimnevs.  They  proclaim  more  clearly  than  anything 
else  the  fact  that  when  the  people  reach  that  stage 
in     their  development  in  which   they   begin   to   till   the 


178 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


soil,  they  soon  become  careful  of  the  little  property 
thev  have,  in  marked  distinction  to  the  savagrc  and  no- 
madic  tribes,  who  are  always  lavish  and  improvident. 
I  have  seen  as  manv  as  ten  store-houses  of  the  kind  de- 


Tarahumare  Store-houses  Made  of  Logs. 

scribed,  and  once  even  fourteen  near  one   dwelling,  but 
generally  one  or  two  only  are  found  near  by. 

vSmall  caves,  especially  when  diflicult  to  reach  and 
hidden  from  view,  may  be  utilised  as  store-houses, 
and  are  then  sealed  up  in  the  same  way  as  the  other 
varieties  are.      Sometimes  rei^^ular  loo^-houses  are  used. 


CHAPTER    IX 


ARRIVAL    AT    BATOPILAS ASCENT    FROM    ISATOPILAS    TO    THE    HIGH- 
LANDS    OF    THE     SIERRA A     TARAHUMARE     WHO    HAD    BEEN    IN 

CHICAGO AN    OLD-TIMER FLIGHT  OF  OUR    NATIVE  GUIDE   AND 

ITS      DISASTROUS     CONSEQUENCES INDIANS    BURN     THE     GRASS 

ALL    OVER     THE    COUNTRY TRAVELLING     BECOMES     TOO     DIFFI- 
CULT   FOR    THE    ANIMALS — MR.    TAYLOR  AND    I    GO   TO    ZAPURI 

ITS    SURROUNDINGS THE    PITHAYA    IN    SEASON. 


WE  continued  our  way  toward  the  south,  crossing 
Barranca  de  Cobre  where  it  is  3,300  feet  deep. 
The  track  we  followed  was  fairly  good,  but  led  along 
several  dangerous  precipices,  over  which  two  burros 
rolled  and  were  killed.  The 
highest  point  we  reached  on 
the  track  over  the  highlands 
south  of  the  barranca  was 
8,300  feet.  There  seemed  to 
be  a  divide  here,  the  climate 
being  cool  and  moist,  and  the 
farthest  ranges  toward  the 
south  and  west  enveloped  in 
mist  and  fog.  Although  Bar- 
ranca de  Batopilas  is  not  as 
narrow  and  impressive  as  the 
barranca  we  had  just  left,  still 
the  mighty  gap,  as  we  looked 
into  its  hazy  bottom  from  the 

highlands,   presented    an   imposing,  awe-inspiring  sight. 

Following  the  windings  of  the  well-laid-out  road  we 

descended  into  the  canon  and  made  camp  a  few  miles 

179 


Cactus  Flowers. 


i8o  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

this  side  of  the  town  of  Bat<)i)ilas.  The  silver  mines 
here,  which  are  ohl  and  famous,  were  tliseovered  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  1  was  cordially  received  1)\-  Mr.  A. 
R.  Shei)herd.  the  well-known  mining  expert,  whose 
courtesv  antl  kindness  were  much  apj)reciated  by  the 
members  of  the  expedition. 

Mv  recent  experience  had  convinced  me  that  the 
onlv  way  to  study  the  natives  properlx'  was  to  live 
among  them  for  a  length  of  time,  and  as  such  a  thing 
was  out  of  the  question  with  so  large  a  party  as  I  still 
had  with  me,  I  made  uj)  m\-  mind  to  discharge  as  soon 
as  possible  everybody  and  to  remain  alone. 

The  country  was  now  suffering  from  a  relentlessly 
scorching  sun.  The  heat  increased  as  the  wet  season 
approached,  and,  as  the  animals  were  getting  weaker  and 
weaker,  I  disposed  here  of  about  half  of  them,  and  the 
number  of  attendants  and  the  amount  of  baggage  were 
correspondingly  reduced.  On  continuing  the  journey 
with  the  weak  and  hungry  mules,  we  found  the  ascent 
of  the  southern  side  of  Barranca  de  Batopilas  quite 
laborious  ;  but  on  the  crest  we  enjoyed  the  fresh  breeze, 
the  more  gratefuUv  after  the  enervating  heat  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  canon. 

Thus  we  arrived  at  the  village  of  Voquibo  (yoki  = 
bluebird  ;  lvo  =  mesa  :  bluebird  on  the  mesa).  Here  I 
had  to  stoj)  for  a  few  days  to  reconnoitre  the  road.  I 
was  told  that  the  grass  had  been  burned  by  the  Indians 
almost  as  far  as  the  ranches  of  Guachochic,  our  main 
objective  point.  The  Indians  at  that  time  (May) 
alwavs  burn  the  grass,  and  the  entire  country  is  wrapped 
in  smoke.  This,  thev  think,  is  necessary  to  produce 
rain  ;  smoke-clouds  and  rain-clouds,  in  their  opinion, 
briniriner  about  the  same  ultimate  result.  But  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly  trying  for  travellers,  man  and  beast.  (3nly 
by  accident   is    some    little    spot   of  grass  spared   here 


A   TRAVELLED    INDIAN  181 

and  there,  and  procuress  becomes  almost  an  impossi- 
l)ility. 

Immediately  upon  our  arrival  1  went  to  sec  the 
gobernador,  and,  strange  to  say,  I  found  him  engaged 
in  teaching  his  young  wife  how  to  weave.  Three 
months  ago  his  first  wife  had  died  of  smallpox.  Old 
bachelors  and  widowers  have  a  hard  time  in  orcttinor 
wives,  because  the  Tarahumare  belles  have  a  decided 
preference  for  young  men.  15ut  the  wifeless  Indian 
feels  very  unhappy,  as  it  means  that  he  has  to  do  all  the 
woman's  housework,  which  is  very  laborious,  and  there- 
fore thoroughly  distasteful  to  him.  Bv  way  of  fascinating 
this  young  girl,  the  gobernador  had  to  exert  himself  to 
the  extent  of  teachinor  her  how  to  make  oriidles  and 
wearing  apparel. 

The  next  day  this  gentleman  returned  my  call,  carry- 
ing his  bow  and  arrows,  I  had  already  learned  in 
Batopilas  that  the  party  of  Indians  who,  about  two 
years  ago,  had  been  exhibited  by  a  now  deceased  trav- 
eller as  representative  cave-dwellers,  had  been  gathered 
mainly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Yoquibo.  My  visitor 
had  been  one  of  the  troupe,  and  I  was  eager  to  find  out 
what  impression  the  civilised  world  had  made  on  this 
child  of  nature,  who  had  never  known  anything  but  his 
woods  and  his  mountains.  Therefore,  almost  my  first 
question  was,  "How  did  you  like  Chicago?"  "It 
looks  very  much  like  here,"  was  the  unexpected  reply. 
What  most  impressed  him,  it  seemed,  was  neither  the 
size  of  the  city  nor  its  sky-scrapers,  though  he  remem- 
bered these,  l)ut  the  big  water  near  which  those  people 
dwelt.  lie  had  liked  riding  in  the  railroad  cars,  but 
complained  that  he  had  not  had  enough  to  eat  on  the 
journey. 

His  experience  on  the  trip  had  familiarised  him  with 
the  white  man  and  his  queer,  incomprehensible  ways,  and 


l82 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


made  him  something  of  a  philosopher.  I  wanted  him 
to  accompany  me  on  my  visits  to  the  few  houses  here, 
as  the  people  were  very  shy  and  timid.  Although  he 
was  verv  much  engaged,  as  I  could  see,  having  to  look 
after  his  animals  as  well  as  his  wife,  he  obligingly  went 
with  me  to  two  houses.     \Ve  saw  a  woman  with  twins  ; 


Making  Larva?  Readv  tor  the  Pot. 

one    of    them    a  miserable-looking    s{)ccimen,   suffering 
from  lack  of  food. 

There  were  also  some  cave-dwellings  near  Voquibo, 
one  or  two  of  which  were  occupied.  In  the  afternoon, 
when  I  went  out  alone,  the  people  all  disappeared  the 
moment  they  saw  me  approaching,  except  one  group  of 
strangers  who  had  come  to   beg  and  did  not  pay  any 


ADVENirKERS  183 

attention  to  me.  They  were  too  busily  engaged  in 
making  ready  for  the  pot  a  certain  kind  of  larva.',  by 
extracting  them  from  the  cocoon,  a  small  white  sac  of 
silky  texture  found  on  the  strawberry  tree. 

The  guide  told  me  that  Indians  like  these,  who  beg 
for  food,  always  return,  to  those  who  give  them  alms, 
the  amount  of  the  gift,  as  soon  as  their  circumstances 
allow. 

Here  in  Voquibo  I  met  one  of  those  Mexican  ad- 
venturers who  under  one  pretext  or  another  manage  to 
get  into  the  Indian  villages  and  cannot  be  routed  out 
again.  Certain  of  them  ply  some  little  trade,  generally 
that  of  a  blacksmith,  others  act  as  "  secretaries,"  writing 
what  few  communications  the  Indians  may  have  to  send 
to  the  government  authorities  ;  some  conduct  a  little 
barter  trade,  exchanging  cheap  cotton  cloth,  beads,  etc., 
for  sheep  and  cattle  ;  but  most  of  them  supply  the  Ind- 
ians with  Mexican  brandy,  mescal.  The  one  in  Yoquibo 
had  established  himself  in  the  only  room  left  intact  in 
the  old  dilapidated  vicarage,  and  eked  out  a  living  by 
sellino^  mescal  to  the  Indians. 

This  fellow's  appearance,  especially  his  unsteady'', 
lurking  eyes,  suggested  the  bandit.  No  doubt,  like 
most  of  his  class,  he  was  in  hiding  from  the  govern- 
ment authorities.  He  was  something  of  a  hypochon- 
driac, and  among  other  ailments  he  thought  he  had  an 
animal  in  his  stomach,  wiiich  he  got  in  there  by  way  of  a 
knife-stab  he  had  received  some  time  ago.  When  he 
came  to  me  to  get  some  remedy,  he  carried  a  rather 
fine  rifle,  and  in  spite  of  all  his  suffering,  real  or  imagi- 
nary, the  bandit  nature  asserted  itself,  when  I  made  some 
complimentary  remark  regarding  his  weapon.  His  half- 
closed  eyes  slurred  in  a  crafty,  guileful  manner  from  side 
to  side  as  he  drawled  :  "  Dcspiies  dc  Dios,  mi  rifle  !  " 
.("  Next  to  God,  my  rifle  !  ") 


184  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

After  considerable  lookino-  about,  I  at  last  found  an 
Indian  willins:  to  act  as  o-uidc  for  the  next  sta2:e  of  our 
journev.  lie  was  an  elderly  man,  and  at  dusk  he  was 
(luictlv  sitting  near  the  cam})  fire,  eating  his  supi)er, 
when  the  tall  figure  of  jNIr.  Hartman  appeared  on  the 
scene,  wrapped  in  a  military  overcoat.  He  probably 
looked  to  the  Indian  very  martial  and  threatening  as  he 
approached  through  the  twilight.  At  any  rate,  his  ap- 
pearance had  a  most  unexpected  effect  on  our  guide. 
I  suddenly  heard  a  noise  behind  me,  and  on  looking 
around,  I  saw  him  running  as  fast  as  his  legs  would 
carry  him,  leaving  his  supper,  dropping  his  blanket, 
splashing  through  the  creek  and  disappearing  in  the 
night,  never  to  be  seen  again  by  us.  He  imagined 
that  a  soldier  was  coming  to  seize  and  kill  him  ;  that 
the  meat-pot  in  which  he  was  to  be  cooked  was  al- 
ready on  the  lire,  while  the  skulls  of  other  unfortunates 
that  had  been  eaten  were  lying  in  a  heap  near  one 
of  the  tents.  He  alluded  apparently  to  four  skulls 
which  I  had  taken  out  of  an  ancient  burial  cave.  In 
explanation  I  will  sav  that  some  time  ago  he  had  been 
arrested  for  some  crime  and  had  broken  away  from  jail; 
soldiers,  or  rather,  the  police,  were  after  him,  and  he 
mistook  Mr.  Hartman  for  one  of  his  pursuers  and  ran 
for  safetv. 

The  incident  proved  somewhat  unfortunate  for  us. 
In  consequence  of  the  wild  stories  he  told  about  us,  the 
Indians,  of  a  suspicious  nature  anyway,  sent  messengers 
all  over  the  sierra,  warning  the  people  against  the  man- 
eaters  that  were  coming.  Our  strange  proceedings  in 
Cusarare,  namely,  the  ])hot()grai)iiing,  had  already  been 
reported  and  made  the  Indians  uneasy.  The  terrible 
experience  of  our  runaway  guide  seemed  to  confirm 
their  wildest  a]:)prehensions,  and  the  alarm  spread  like 
wildlirc,  growing  in  terror,  like  an  avalanche,  the  farther 


TROUBLESOME   STORIES  185 

it  went.  Wc  fouiul  the  ranches  deserted  on  every  hand, 
women  and  ehilchen  hiding  and  screaming  whenever 
they  caught  a  gHmpse  of  us.  At  every  turn  our  progress 
was  impeded.  Wherever  I  came  I  was  abhorred  as  the 
man  who  subsisted  on  babies  and  green  corn,  and  the 
prospect  of  my  ever  gaining  the  confidence  of  tlie  Ind- 
ians was  exceedingly  discouraging  for  the  next  four  or 
five  months. 

Though  it  was  impossible  to  secure  a  new  guide,  I 
still  made  a  start  next  day,  following  a  fairly  good  track 
which  leads  south  toward  Guachochic.  Yet  further 
obstacles  presented  themselves.  The  animals  began  to 
give  out.  It  was  the  season  of  the  year  when  they 
change  their  coats,  and  are  in  poor  condition  even  under 
the  best  circumstances,  and  mine  were  exhausted  from 
lack  of  food.  They  would  not  eat  the  dry  grass,  and 
the  green  pasture  was  still  too  scanty  to  suffice  for  their 
maintenance.  The  information  that  the  natives  had 
burned  all  the  grass  proved  correct  to  its  fullest  extent, 
so  there  was  nothing  for  me  to  do  but  to  establish  a 
camp,  scarcely  a  day's  journey  off,  at  Tasajisa,  where 
there  was  some  pasture  along  the  ridges  that  had  as  yet 
escaped  the  fire  of  the  Indians.  Leaving  the  larger  part 
of  my  outfit  and  about  half  of  my  mules  in  charge  of 
my  chief  packer,  Mr.  Taylor  and  I  continued  the  jour- 
ney with  the  best  and  strongest  of  the  animals,  making 
a  circuitous  tour  to  the  little  mining  town  of  Zapuri,  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  which  were  some  caves  I  wanted 
to  investigate. 

After  a  day's  journey  we  turned  westward  and  got 
beyond  the  range  of  the  fires.  Turkeys  were  seen  close 
to  our  camp  and  appeared  plentiful  ;  I  also  saw  a  giant 
woodpecker,  but  just  as  I  got  ready  to  shoot,  it  flew 
away  with  a  great  whirr  of  its  wings.  We  soon  began 
to  descend,  and  after  a  long   and  fatiguing  day's  travel 


i86  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

over  cordons  and  sierras,  and  through  a  wide  barranca 
surrounded  by  magnificent  towering  mountains,  we 
arri\ed,  late  in  tlie  afternoon,  at  Zapuri.  The  superin- 
tendent of  the  mine,  to  whom  I  brought  a  letter  of  in- 
troduction from  the  owner  of  the  property,  received  us 
with  cordial  hospitality.  Here  the  climate  was  splen- 
did ;  tlie  nights  were  jusL  i)leasanlly  cool,  the  mornings 
delieiouslv  calm  ;  thev  were  all  the  more  enjoyed  after 
the  windy  weather  of  tlie  sierra. 

Immediately  upon  my  arrival  here  I  had  a  chance, 
through  the  courtesy  of  the  superintendent,  to  secure  a 
Mexican  and  some  strong  mules,  which  took  Mr,  Tay- 
lor over  to  Parral  on  his  way  back  to  the  United  States. 
Mr.  Hartman  remained  with  the  expedition  two  months 
longer,  to  join  me  again  the  following  year  for  a  few 
months.  I  also  got  a  guide  for  m\self  and  made  an  ex- 
cursion to  the  caves  in  the  neighbouring  barrancas. 
After  we  had  gone  some  ten  miles  over  very  bad  roads, 
we  came  to  the  home  of  an  old  Tarahumare  woman, 
who  was  reputed  to  be  verv  rich.  Knowing  Mexican 
exaggeration  in  this  regard,  I  computed  that  the 
twelve  bushels  of  pesos  she  was  supposed  to  have  hid- 
den might  amount,  perhaps,  to  $50  or  $100  Mexican 
money.  Whatever  her  wealth  was,  she  showed  it  onlv 
in  a  lavish  displa\'  of  glass  beads  around  her  scrawny 
neck  ;  they  must  have  weiglied  at  least  six  or  eight 
pounds.  But  then,  her  homestead  was  composed 
mainlv  of  four  or  five  substantial  circular  store-houses. 

'f  he  wealth  of  the  Tarahumare  consists  in  his  cattle. 
He  is  well  off  when  he  lias  three  or  four  head  of  cattle 
and  a  dozen  sheej)  and  goats.  There  is  one  instance 
w'here  a  man  had  as  many  as  forty  head  of  cattle,  but 
this  was  a  rare  exception.  They  rarely  keep  horses,  and 
never  pigs,  which  destroy  their  cornfields  ;  and  are 
believed,  besides,  to  be  Sj)aniards  {^GacJiupincs).      Pork, 


TAKAHLMAKE   RICHES  187 

though  sometimes  eaten,  is  never  sacrificed.  No  tame 
turkeys  are  kept,  but  occasionally  the  people  have  some 
hens,  antl  in  rare  cases  a  family  may  keep  a  turtle  dove 
or  a  tame  quail.  When  a  man  has  oxen,  he  is  able  to 
plough  a  large  piece  of  land  and  raise  enough  corn  to 
sell  some.      But  corn  is  seldom  converted  into  money. 

Here  we  packed  the  most  necessary  things  on  our 
best  mule,  and  with  the  guide  and  two  Indians,  who 
carried  bundles,  we  descended  to  the  river.  The  road 
was  fairly  good,  but  as  we  approached  the  river  we 
came  to  several  bad  places.  In  one  of  these  the  mule's 
aparejo  struck  a  rock,  which  caused  the  animal  to  lose 
its  foothold.  Unresistingly  it  slid  down  the  steep  slope 
for  about  seven  yards  and  came  against  a  tree,  forefeet 
on  one  side,  hindfeet  on  the  other.  The  boy  who  led 
it,  eager  to  do  something,  managed  to  get  the  halter  off, 
so  that  there  was  nothing  by  which  to  hold  the  animal 
except  its  ears.  I  held  fast  to  one  of  these,  steadying 
myself  on  the  loose  soil  by  grabbing  a  root  sticking  out 
of  the  ground.  The  intelligent  animal  lay  perfectly  still 
over  the  trunk.  Finally  I  managed  to  get  out  mv 
bowie-knife  and  cut  the  ropes  off  the  pack,  which  rolled 
down  the  hill,  while  the  mule,  relieved  of  its  bulky 
burden,  scrambled  to  its  feet  and  climbed  up.  It  was 
born  and  bred  in  the  barranca,  otherwise  it  would  never 
have  been  able  to  accomplish  this  feat. 

Toward  evening  we  arrived  at  the  section  of  a  bar- 
ranca called  Ohuivo  (Ovi  =  return,  or  "the  place  to- 
which  they  returned  ")  on  the  Rio  Fuerte.  The  Indians 
here,  although  many  of  them  have  been  affected  by  the 
nearness  of  the  mines,  are  reticent  and  distrustful,  and 
our  guide  evidently  had  not  much  influence  with  them. 
They  refused  to  be  photographed,  and  even  the  goberna- 
dor  ran  away  from  the  terrible  ordeal. 

During  the  several  days  I  remained  in  this  valley  the 


i88 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


heat  never  varied  from  loo",  day  and  night,  which  was 
rather  trying  and  made  doing  anything  an  exertion. 
The  countr\'  looked  scorched,  except  for  the  evergreen 
cacti,  the  most  prominent  of  which  was  the  towering 
pithava.      Its  dark-green   branches  stand  immovable  to 


Gathering  l^ithava. 

wind  and  storm.  It  has  the  best  wild  fruit  growing  in 
the  north-western  part  of  Mexico,  and  as  this  was  just 
the  season  when  it  ripens,  the  Indians  from  all  around 
had  come  to  gather  it.  It  is  as  large  as  an  egg  and  its 
flesh  soft,  sweet,  and  nourishing.      As  the  plant  grows  to 


PITHAYA    FRUIT  189 

a  height  of  twenty  to  thirty-five  feet,  the  Indians  get  the 
fruit  down  with  a  long  reed,  one  end  of  which  has  four 
prongs,  and  gather  it  in  little  crates  of  split  bamboo, 
which  they  carry  by  straps  on  their  backs.  It  is  a  sight 
to  see  men,  women,  and  children  start  out  gaily  at  day- 
break, armed  with  slender  sticks,  climbing  rugged 
heights  with  grace  and  agility,  to  get  the  pithaya,  which 
tastes  better  when  plucked  at  dawn,  fresh  and  cool,  than 
when  gathered  during  the  heat  of  the  day.  The  fruit, 
which  lasts  about  a  month,  comes  when  it  is  most 
needed,  at  the  height  of  the  dry  season  (June),  when 
the  people  have  a  regular  feasting-time  of  it.  Mexicans 
also  appreciate  the  pithaya,  and  servants  frequently  ab- 
scond at  that  time,  in  order  to  get  the  fruit.  The  beau- 
tiful white  flowers  of  the  plant  are  never  found  growing 
on  the  north  side  of  the  stem. 

With  the  Indians,  the  pithaya  enters,  of  course,  into 
religion,  and  the  beautiful  macaw  (guacamaya),  which 
revels  in  the  fruit,  is  associated  with  it  in  their  beliefs. 
The  bird  arrives  from  its  migration  to  southern  lati- 
tudes when  the  pithaya  is  in  bloom,  and  the  Indians 
think  that  it  comes  to  see  whether  there  will  be  much 
fruit ;  then  it  flies  off  again  to  the  coast,  to  return  in 
June,  when  the  fruit  is  ripe.  The  following  gives  the 
trend  of  one  of  the  guacamaya  songs  :  "The  pithaya  is 
ripe,  let  us  go  and  get  it.  Cut  off"  the  reeds  !  *  The 
guacamaya  comes  from  the  Tierra  Caliente  to  eat  the 
first  fruits.  From  far  away,  from  the  hot  country,  I 
come  when  the  men  are  cutting  the  reeds,  and  I  eat  the 
first  fruits.  Why  do  you  wish  to  take  the  first  fruits 
from  me  ?  They  are  my  fruits.  I  eat  the  fruit,  and  I 
throw  away  the  skin.  I  get  filled  with  the  fruit,  and  I 
go  home  singing.  Remain  behind,  little  tree,  waving  as 
I  alight  from  you  !  I  am  going  to  fly  in  the  wind,  and 
some  day  I  will  return  and  eat  your  pithayas,  little  tree  !  " 

*  With  which  the  fruit  is  brought  down. 


CHAPTER    X 

NICE-LOOKING     NATIVES — ALBINOS — ANCIENT     REMAINS     IN     OHUIVO 

— LOCAL     TRADITIONS,    THK    COCOYOMES,    ETC. — GUACHOCHIC 

DON      MIGUEL      AND      "  THE      POSTMASTER  "  A      VARIETY      OF 

CURIOUS  CURES — GAUCHOCHIC    BECOMES    MY  HEAD-QUARTERS — 

THE     DIFFICULTY     OF      GETTING     AN      HONEST      INTERPRETER 

FALSE  TRUFFLES  —  THE  COUNTRY  SUFFERING  FROM  A  PRO- 
LONGED DROUGHT A  START  IN  A  NORTH-WESTERLY  DIREC- 
TION  ARRIVAL     AT     THE     PTF-liLO     OF    NOROGACHIC. 

1  FOLLOWED  the  riv^er  a  day's  journey  up  and 
noticed  some  small  tobacco  plantations  on  the 
banks.  I  met  some  good-looking  people,  who  had 
come  from  Tierras  Verdes,  the  locality  adjoining  on 
the  south.  Their  mov^ements  were  full  of  action  and 
energy.  Their  skins  showed  a  tinge  of  delicate  yel- 
low, and  as  the  men  wore  their  hair  in  a  braid,  they 
had  a  curious,  oriental  appearance.  The  women  looked 
well  in  black  woollen  skirts  and  white  tunics.  The 
people  from  that  part  of  the  country  are  known  for 
their  pretty,  white,  home-made  blankets,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent that  in  those  inaccessible  parts  the  Indians  had  still 
something  for  the  white  man  to  take  away. 

The  natives  of  this  valle\-  had  a  curious  habit,  when 
they  were  made  to  dive  for  fish,  of  afterward  throwing 
themselves  in  a  row  on  the  sun-heated  sand  to  warm 
their  stomachs  for  a  minute  or  two. 

Near  Ohuivo,  in  the  mountains  toward  Morelos, 
there  used  to  live  a  family  of  ten  albinos.  When  I 
was  there  onl\-  two  survived,  smallpox  having  made 
havoc  among  tlicm.     Tiieir   skin   was   so   delicate  that 

I.JO 


ALBINOS  191 

even  the  contact  with  tlicir  clothinu^  irritated  it.  Mr. 
Ilartman  visited  one  of  them,  an  old  woman  who  Hved 
in  a  cave  with  her  husband,  a  small,  dark-skinned  fel- 
low, and  the  two  certainly  were  "  mated,  but  not 
matched."  Her  features  were  entirely  Indian,  but  her 
complexion  was  unique  in  Mexico,  even  among  the 
white  population.  She  reminded  one  of  a  very  blond 
type  of  Scandinavian  or  Irish  peasantry.  Her  hair  was 
yellowish  -  white,  but  her  eye  -  brows  and  -lashes  were 
snow-white.  The  face  and  body  were  white,  but  dis- 
figured with  large  red  spots  and  small  freckles.  She 
kept  her  eyes  more  than  half  shut,  and  as  she  was  very 
shy  it  was  not  possible  to  ascertain  the  color  of  the  iris  ; 
but  Mr.  Hartman  was  assured  by  the  husband  that  it 
was  bluish. 

Most  of  the  Indians  in  Ohuivo  live  in  houses.  The 
few  caves  that  are  occupied  are  not  improved  in  any 
way.  One  cave  contained  ancient  habitations,  and  tra- 
dition says  that  there  the  Tubares  had  once  established 
themselves.  The  cave  is  nothing  but  a  nearly  horizontal 
crack  in  the  rock,  situated  on  tiie  southern  side  of  the 
river,  some  300  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  valley.  It 
runs  from  south-east  to  north-west  to  a  length  of  about 
200  feet,  interrupted  perpendicularly  by  a  crevice.  En- 
tering the  cave  at  the  southernmost  end  I  found  twelve 
low-walled  rooms,  standing  singly,  but  closely  side  by 
side.  They  w^ere  square  with  rounded  corners.  The 
walls  were  built  of  stone  and  mud  and  one  foot  thick, 
and  the  floors  were  hard  and  smooth,  A  store-room,  in 
a  good  state  of  preservation,  resembled  in  every  detail 
the  store-houses  used  by  the  Tarahumares  of  the  present 
day,  being  square  and  built  of  stone  and  mud.  In 
none  of  these  rooms  was  it  possible  for  me  to  stand 
upright.  Apart  from  this  grouj),  a  few  yards  higher  up 
in  the  cave,  were  two  small  houses.     The  floor  of  the 


\L)2 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


cave  was  getting:  higher  and  higher.      1  had  to  crawl  on 
my  stomach  for  about  ten  yards  and  came  suddenly  to 
the  edge  of  a  preci})ice  ;    but  a  track  led  around  it  to 
the  other  side,  where  I  found  the  main  portion  of  the 
houses,  eighteen  in  all,  the  largest  having  a  side  thirteen 
feet  long,  though  the  others  were  considerably  smaller. 
The}^  were  arranged  just  like  those  of  the  first  section, 
in  one  row,  and  were  made  of  the  same  material,  except 
a  few,  which  were  built  of  adobe.     In  these  the  w^alls 
were  only  eight  inches  thick.     One  of  the  rooms  was 
still  complete,  had  square  openings,  and  may  have  been 
a  store-room.     The  others   seem  to  have  had  the  con- 
ventional Indian  apertures.      In  two  chambers  I  noticed 
circular  spaces  sunk  into  the  floor  six  inches  deep  and 
about  fourteen  inches  in  diameter.      What   I  took  to  be 
an  estufa,  nineteen  feet  in  diameter,  was  found  in  the 
lowest  section.     Behind  it    was  only  a  small  cluster  of 
five  houses  higher  up  in  the  cave. 

Though  this  is  the  only  ancient  cave-dwelling  I  vis- 
ited in  Ohuivo,  I  was  assured  that  there  were  several 
others  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  broken  country 
around  Zapuri  is  interesting  on  account  of  the  various 
traditions  which,  still  living  on  the  lips  of  the  natives, 
refer  to  a  mysterious  people  called  the  Cocoyomes, 
regarded  by  some  Tarahumares  as  their  ancient  ene- 
mies, bv  others  as  their  ancestors.  They  were  the  first 
people  in  the  world,  were  short  of  stature  and  did 
not  eat  corn.  They  subsisted  mainly  on  herbs,  espe- 
cially a  small  agave  called  tshawi.  They  were  also  can- 
nibals, devouring  each  other  as  well  as  the  Tarahumares. 
The  Cocoyomes  lived  in  caves  on  the  high  cliffs  of  the 
sierra,  and  in  the  afternoon  came  down,  like  deer,  to 
drink  in  the  rivers.  As  they  had  no  axes  of  iron  they 
could  not  cut  any  large  trees,  and  were  unable  to  clear 
much  land  for  the  planting  of  corn.      They  could  only 


THE   MYSTERIOUS   COCOYOMES         193 

burn  the  grass  in  the  arruyus  in  order  to  get  the  fields 
ready.  Long  ago,  when  the  Cocoyomes  were  very  bad, 
the  sun  came  down  to  the  earth  and  burned  nearly  all 
of  them  ;  only  a  few  escaped  into  the  big  caves. 

Here  in  Zapuri  the  Cocoyomes  had  four  large  caves 
inside  of  which  they  had  built  square  houses  of  very 
hard  adobe  ;  in  one  of  the  caves  they  had  a  spring. 
The  Tarahumares  often  fought  with  them,  and  once, 
when  the  Cocoyomes  were  together  in  the  largest  cave, 
which  had  no  spring,  the  Tarahumares  besieged  them 
for  eight  days,  until  all  of  the  Cocoyomes  had  perished 
from  hunger.  From  such  an  event  the  name  of  Zapuri 
may  have  been  derived.  Intelligent  Mexicans,  whom 
I  consulted,  as^ree  that  it  means  "  fio^ht "  or  "contest" 
(Spanish,  dcsafid). 

From  a  place  called  Tuaripa,  some  thirty  miles 
farther  south,  near  the  border  of  the  Tepehuane 
country,  and  in  the  same  mountainous  region,  I  have 
the  following  legend,  about  the  Cocoyomes  and  the 
serpents  : 

Two  large  serpents  used  to  ascend  from  the  river  and 
go  up  on  the  highlands  to  a  little  plain  between  Huera- 
chic  and  Tuaripa,  and  they  killed  and  ate  the  Cocoyomes, 
returning  each  time  to  the  river.  Whenever  they  were 
hungry  they  used  to  come  up  again.  At  last  an  old  man 
brought  together  all  the  people  at  the  place  where  the 
serpents  used  to  ascend.  Here  they  dug  a  big  hole  and 
filled  it  with  wood  and  with  large  stones,  and  made  a  fire 
and  heated  the  stones  until  they  became  red  hot.  When 
the  serpents  were  seen  to  make  their  ascent  on  the 
mountain-side,  the  men  took  hold  of  the  stones  with 
sticks,  and  threw  them  into  the  big,  wide-open  mouths 
of  the  serpents,  until  the  monsters  were  so  full  with 
stones  that  they  burst  and  fell  dead  into  the  river.  Even 
to  this  day  may  be  seen  the  marks  on  the  rocks  where 
the  serpents  used  to  ascend  the  mountain-side. 

Vol.  I. — 13 


194 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


Once  havino-  again  ascended  to  the  highlands,  I 
found  ratlier  level  country  as  far  as  Guachochic,  some 
forty-five  miles  off  hv  the  track  I  followed.  The  name 
of  the  i)lace  signifies  "blue  herons,"  and   the  Wnv  water- 


Jii  ilic  lli^hlandb  c;t  the  Sierra. 

course,  which  originates  in  the  manv  springs  here,  was 
formerly  the  abode  of  many  water-birds.  The  locality 
thus  designated  is  to-day  a  cluster  of  Mexican  ranches, 
most  of  them  belonging  to  one  fainil\-.  There  is  an  oUl 
church,  but  at  present  no  indej)endent  Indians  live  in 
Guachochic  ;  the  aborigines  found  about  the  place  are 
servants  of  the  Mexicans. 

Guachochic  lies  at    an  ele\alion  of  7,775  feet    and  at 
the    southern    end    of   a   mesa,   the    largest    one    in   the 


DON    MIGUEL,    OF   GUACHOCHIC        195 

Sierra  Madrc  del  NorLc,  being'  twelve  miles  lon<^  and 
three  miles  wide.  ILxeejJt  on  the  southern  end  this 
plateau  is  bordered  with  statelv  pine  forests.  Many  Ind- 
ians live  on  the  mesa  and  in  the  numerous  valleys  ad- 
joininij  it,  but  they  are  all  "eivilised";  that  is,  contam- 
inated with  many  Me.xieo-Christian  notions,  and  have 
lost  their  j)ristine  simj)lieity. 

I  had  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the  principal  person- 
age in  Guachochic,  Don  Miguel,  who  enjoys  the  rare 
reputation  of  being  just  and  helpful  toward  the  Indians  ; 
and,  being  a  large  land-owner,  he  is  a  man  of  considera- 
ble influence  also  with  his  fellow-countrymen.  To  those 
in  need  he  lends  money  on  liberal  terms  out  of  the  pile  of 
silver  dollars  buried  under  the  floor  of  his  house.  Rob- 
bers know  from  sad  experience  that  he  is  not  to  be 
trifled  with.  Once,  when  a  band  of  marauders  had  taken 
possession  of  the  old  adobe  church  and  were  helping 
themselves  to  the  buried  cash  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
ranches,  he  rallied  the  terrorised  people,  gave  the  robbers 
battle  and  routed  them  effectually.  He  upholds  author- 
ity against  lawlessness,  and  wants  justice  to  have  its 
course,  except  when  one  of  his  own  relatives  has  done 
the  shooting — I  was  sorry  to  learn  that  in  this  regard  he 
was  probably  not  beyond  rebuke  ;  but  his  many  good 
deeds  to  the  needy  and  oppressed,  whether  Mexican  or 
Indian,  should  make  us  lenient  toward  this  failing. 
The  Indians  appeal  to  him  of  their  own  accord.  Three 
ruffians  once  w^ent  to  the  house  of  a  well-to-do  Indian, 
recently  deceased,  and  told  his  mourning  relatives  that 
they  had  come  to  see  to  the  division  of  the  property 
among  the  heirs,  and  that  they  must  have  good  things 
to  eat  and  plenty  to  drink  while  thus  occupied  ;  calling 
upon  the  relatives  to  brew  plenty  of  beer  and  kill  an  ox. 
Their  orders  were  promptly  obeyed  ;  but  in  addition 
they  charged   the   heirs  a  fee  of  three  oxen,  one  fanega 


!(/)  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

of  corn,  and  some  silver  money.  This  struck  the  simple 
and  patient  Indians  as  rather  excessive,  for  what  woidd 
then  be  left  to  divide  between  themselves  ?  So  they 
took  their  grievance  to  Don  Miguel  to  be  settled.  I  tlo 
not  know  of  anv  white  man  in  those  parts  who  would 
have  taken  the  tiuuble,  as  he  did,  to  protect  the  poor 
Indians'  rio^hts  against  the  wily  schemers. 

The  old  gentleman  was  not  at  home  when  I  arrived 
at  his  ranch,  but  I  met  one  of  his  sons,  who  lives  at 
Guachochic. 

'*  I  am  the  postmaster,"  he  said  proudly,  stepping 
forward  and  showing  me,  at  the  same  time,  his  creden- 
tials, which  he  evidently  always  carried  in  his  jiocket. 
The  mail  from  the  lowlands  to  the  mining  towns  passes 
over  this  place,  and  the  mail-carrier  sleeps  in  this  house. 
In  the  course  of  the  year  he  may  also  bring  a  few  letters 
to  the  inhabitants  of  this  part  of  the  country.  \Ve  soon 
entered  into  a  conversation  about  postal  matters,  which 
naturally  interested  me  greatly,  as  I  was  anxious  to  com- 
municate as  often  as  possible  with  the  outside  world.  In 
s})ite  of  the  great  pride  this  man  took  in  his  office,  his 
notions  regarding  his  duties  were  rather  vague.  Being 
desirous  of  knowing  what  was  going  on  among  his  neigh- 
bours, he  had  no  compunction  about  opening  the  few 
letters  they  got  ;  not  that  he  destroyed  them  after  read- 
ing them — he  very  coolly  handed  them  over  opened. 
The  people  did  not  like  this,  and  considered  it  rather 
high-handed  on  his  i)art  ;  but  then,  what  was  there  for 
them  to  do  about  it  ? 

He'  said  he  had  heard  that  I  could  cure  people. 
When  a  man  is  called  Doctor,  the  Mexican  peasantry 
expect  him  to  possess  comprehensivelv  all  useful  knowl- 
edge in  the  world.  Looking  at  me  for  a  moment,  this 
healthy,  ruddv-cheeked  man  suddenly,  without  saying  a 
word,  took   hold  of  mv  hand  and  pressed  it  against   his 


CURIOUS    CURES 


197 


forehead  for  a  little  while  ;  then,  all  the  time  in  silence, 
he  carried  it  backward  until  my  fingers  touched  a  small 
excrescence  on  his  back.  Now  was  the  chance  to  find 
out  whatever  was  the  matter  with  him  ! 

On  my  next  visit  to  his  office  he  received  me  with  a 
queer,  hesitating  expression  on  his  face,  and  suddenly 
blurted  out,  "  Can  you  cut  out  trousers  ?  "  For  some 
time  he  had  had  a  piece  of  cloth  in  his  house,  and  he 
said  he  would  pay  me  well  if  I  could  help  him  to  have 
it  made  into  trousers.  To  cure  people,  mend  watches, 
repair  sewing-machines,  make  applejack,  do  tailoring, 
prognosticate  the  weather — everything  is  expected  from 
a  man  who  comes  from  far  away.  And  the  good 
people  here  are  astonished  at  a  confession  of  ignorance 
of  such  matters,  and  take  it  rather  personally  as  a  lack 
of  good-will  toward  them.  It  is  the  old  belief  in  the 
medicine  man  that  still  survives  in  the  minds  of  the 
people,  and  they  therefore  look  upon  doctors  with  much 
greater  respect  than  on  other  persons. 

People  who  live  outside  of  civilisation  are  thrown 
upon  their  own  resources  in  cases  of  sickness.  The 
daughter  of  my  Mexican  guide  was  confined  and  the 
coming  of  the  afterbirth  was  delayed.  I  give  here,  for 
curiosity's  sake,  a  list  of  the  various  remedies  applied  in 
the  case  : 

1.  The  carapace  of  the  armadillo,  ground  and  taken 
in  a  little  water.  This  is  a  Tarahumare  remedy,  said  to 
be  very  effective  for  the  trouble  mentioned. 

2.  The  skunkwort  (the  herb  of  the  skunk). 

3.  The  patient  to  hold  her  own  hair  in  her  mouth 
for  half  an  hour. 

4.  The  wood  of  Palo  hcdiondo,  boiled. 

5.  Urina  viri,  half  a  cup.  This  remedy  is  also 
externally  used  for  cuts  and  bruises. 

6.  Fresh   excrement   from  a  black   horse.     A  small 


198  rXKXOWX    MEXICO 

(juantity  of  water   is   mixed   with  it,  then   pressed   out 
throug-h  a  piece  of  cloth  and  taken  internally. 

7.  Perspiration  from  a  black  horse.  A  saddlecloth, 
after  having"  been  used  on  the  iiorse,  is  juit  over  the 
abdomen  of  the  woman. 

8.  A  decoction  of  the  bark  of  the  elm. 

9.  Pork  fat. 

After  a  number  of  days  the  patient  recovered. 
Whether  it  was  propter  hoc  or  merelv  post  hoc  is  a  mat- 
ter of  conjecture. 

Guachochic  served  admirably  as  a  central  point  from 
which  excursions  in  various  directions  could  be  made,  as 
it  lies  in  the  very  mitlst  of  the  Tarahumarc  country.  It 
is  true  that  the  Mexicans  have  appropriated  all  the  best 
land  round  about,  and  their  extensive  and  fertile  ranches 
lie  all  around  Guachochic.  Toward  the  east,  in  the 
direction  of  the  pueblos  of  Tonachic  and  Lagunitas,  the 
broad  strip  of  oood  arable  and  pasture  land  as  far  as 
Parral  is  owned  exclusively  by  Mexicans. 

But  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Guachochic 
toward  the  west  and  south  lie  the  ridges  and  barrancas 
that  run  toward  Sinaloa,  and  these  are  inhabited  by 
pagan  Tarahumares.  Toward  the  north  the  Indians  hold 
undisputed  sway  over  that  extensive  region  of  moun- 
tains, pine-covered  plateaus  and  well-watered  arr()\'os 
around  the  pueblos  of  Norogachic,  Pamachic  and  Xara- 
rachic,  and  here  are  found  the  most  independent  Taia- 
humares  that  are  left,  who  still  defv  the  whites  to  take 
their  land  away  from  them.  Thev  are  more  valiant 
than  the  rest  and  not  easil\-  intimidated. 

The  first  thing-  for  me  to  do.  after  establishing  camp 
near  Guachochic,  was  to  secure  strong  mules  and  the 
necessary  men  to  l)ring  up  the  outfit  that  had  been  left 
behind  in  Tasajisa,  and  after  a  week's  absence  they  re- 
turned with  all  the  animals  and  <>;oods  intact. 


IGNORANCE   OF   THE   NATIVES  199 

Guachocliic  is  an  uninteresting^  place  at  its  best,  and 
at  this  season  it  seemed  especially  dreary,  on  account  of 
the  crop  failure  from  wiiich  the  sierra  had  heen  suffer- 
ing for  the  last  two  years.  There  is  never  much  to  get 
here,  but  now  even  corn  and  beans  could  hardly  be 
bought.  It  was  therefore  quite  a  treat  to  have  a  square 
meal  with  Don  Miguel,  whose  wife  was  a  clever  cook, 
and  who,  considering  all  circumstances,  kept  a  fair 
Mexican  table.  He  could  also  give  me  some  general 
information  about  the  Indians  ;  but  not  only  here,  but 
in  many  other  parts  of  Mexico,  I  was  often  astonished 
at  the  ignorance  of  the  Mexican  settlers  concerning  the 
Indians  living  at  their  very  doors.  Aside  from  certain 
conspicuous  practices,  even  intelligent  Mexicans  know 
little  of  the  customs,  much  less  of  the  beliefs,  of  the 
aborigines.  Regarding  the  pagans  in  the  barrancas,  I 
could  get  absolutely  no  information  beyond  a  general 
depreciation  of  them  as  savages,  bravos  (fierce  men)  and 
broncos  (wild  ones).  One  Mexican  whom  I  inter- 
viewed about  certain  caves  thought  that  the  only  thing 
I  could  be  looking  for  was  the  silver  possibly  hidden  in 
them,  and  therefore  told  me  that  there  were  12,000,000 
pesos  buried  in  a  cave  near  the  minmg  town  Guadalupe 
y  Calvo,  waiting  to  be  recovered.  Thus  it  was  exceed- 
ingly difficult  in  the  beginning  to  determine  just  which 
would  be  the  best  way  to  start  my  investigations,  and 
all  that  was  left  for  me  to  do  was  to  find  out  for  myself 
where  my  best  field  was  by  making  extensive  excursions 
into  the  domains  of  the  Tarahumare  in  company  with 
an  intelligent  interpreter.  And  there  was  the  rub ! 
There  are  in  this  part  of  the  sierra  a  certain  number  of 
men  who  make  a  living  by  dealing  with  the  Indians,  and 
who,  having  been  born  and  bred  in  the  country,  speak 
the  difficult  language  of  the  Tarahumares  as  well  as  the 
Indians  themselves.     But  as  each  man  operates  in  a  cer- 


200  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

tain  district  and  has  a  monopoly  of  the  trade  with  the 
Indians  within  its  confines,  the  temjHation  to  cheat  the 
unsophisticated  natives  out  of  their  Utile  property  is 
naturallv  very  great,  and  by  far  the  greater  number  of 
the  dealers  succumb  to  it.  As  soon,  however,  as  one  of 
them  is  found  out,  he  loses  his  inlluence  with  the  Ind- 
ians, and  to  go  with  a  man  of  that  stamp  would  have 
been  disastrous  to  my  purpose.  The  duty  of  the  Icn- 
giiaraz,  as  the  interpreter  is  called,  is  to  smooth  the 
traveller's  way  among  the  distrustful  Indians  with  skil- 
ful words,  to  get  provisions,  make  bargains,  and  exj^lain 
to  the  Indians  the  purpose  of  his  visit.  Last  but  not 
least,  he  must  obtain  all  possible  information  from 
them.  This  may  mean  one  day's  hard  work,  and  the 
trying  of  his  patience  with  many  apparently  futile  ques- 
tions which  are  made  to  get  at  the  Indian's  real  mean- 
ing. Thus  it  may  be  understood  how  one  is  com])letely 
at  the  mercy  of  one's  lenguaraz,  and  how  important  it 
is  for  the  success  of  an  expedition  to  tind  the  right  man. 
There  is  nothing  else  to  do  but  to  try  and  try  again,  one 
after  another. 

The  Indians  near  Guachochic  seemed  all  to  l)e  de- 
pressed, poor,  and  hungry.  Most  of  their  animals  had 
died  from  lack  of  food,  and  the  few  tliat  had  not  suc- 
cumbed to  starvation  liad  to  be  sold  in  exchange  for 
corn.  A  couj)le  of  Indians  wiio  were  on  their  wa\-  to 
Parral  to  buy  wheat  died  of  starvation  before  they 
reached  their  destination.  The  Indians  ascribcMl  the 
hard  times  to  the  presence  of  the  whites,  who  had  de- 
prived tiiem  of  their  lands  as  well  as  of  their  liberty. 
The  gods,  as  they  put  it,  were  angry  with  the  whites 
and  refused  to  send  rain. 

In  the  summer,  es])eciallv  in  ]w\\\  a  false  truffle  is 
found  on  the  highlands  of  (iuachochic,  which  seiwes  as 
a  food  to  the    Indians.      It    grows   abundantly  a  couple 


FALSE   TRUFFLES 


201 


of  inches  below  the  ground,  ntisini;-  the  earth  a  little  ;; 
and  is  found  also  under  the  limb  cjf  a  fallen  tree.  The 
dogs  help  in  linding  this  fungus,  and  they  are  so  fond  of 
it  that  they  go  of  their  own  accord  to  look  for  it. 
Pigs  grow  fat  on  this  food,  and  coyotes,  bears,  and  grey 
foxes  also  eat  it.  It  is  considered  by  Professor  W.  G. 
Farlow  as  a  variety  of  Melaiiogaster  varicgatits,  which  he 
calls  Mexica7ius.  It  tastes 
like  an  over-ripe  pear,  with  a 
flavour  of  onion  when  one 
first  bites  into  it.  The  ordi- 
nary Mclaiiogaster  variega- 
tus  is  eaten  in  Europe,  and 
esteemed  for  its  pleasant 
taste. 

It  was  disagreeable  to 
travel  during  the  dry  season, 
on  account  of  the  difficulty 
in  getting  provisions  and 
finding  pastures  for  the  ani- 
mals. But  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  start  under  any  cir- 
cumstances on  an  excursion 
toward  the  north-east,  know- 
ing that  the  fresh  grass  would 
come  up  quickly  after  a  few  of  the  thunder-storms 
not  infrequent  at  that  season.  Toward  the  end  of  June 
I  selected  a  few  of  my  strongest  animals,  and,  leaving 
one  of  my  Mexicans  to  take  care  of  the  remainder, 
started  out  with  two.  As  luck  would  have  it,  a  heavy 
storm  drenched  our  first  camp,  and  afterward  the  rain 
seemed  almost  to  pursue  me,  much  to  the  delight  of  the 
Indians  I  visited,  who  had  been  praying  and  dancing 
for  rain  for  a  long  time.  One  dav  I  had  the  imposing 
spectacle  of  three  thunder-storms  coming  up  from  dif- 


Tarahumare   Interpreters 


202 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


fercnt  directions.     The  one  in  the  soiitii  sent  flashes  of 

hghtning  out  of  its  mass  of   dark  clouds  over  the  clear 

sky  ;   but  after  all,  not  much  rain  resulted. 

There  was  no  difficulty  in   fmdino-  one's  way  from 

Guachochic  to  Norogachic.     At  one  j^lace   I  noticed  an 

Indian  trail  leading 
up  a  ridge  appar- 
ent Iv  consisting  of 
\olcanic  tuff.  To  fa- 
cilitate the  ascent, 
steps,  now  worn 
and  old,  had  been 
cut  for  a  distance  of 
a  couple  of  hun- 
dred feet.  I  made 
my  way  among  the 
Indian  ranches  to 
Norogachic,  the 
residence  of  the 
onl\-  jiriest  living 
at  present  in  I  lie 
Tarahumare  coun- 
trv.  The  name  of 
the  place  contains 
an  allusion  to  a  cer- 
tain rock  in  the 
vicinity.  There  is 
another  priest  who 
pavs  some  atten- 
tion to  the  Tara- 
hu mares,    but    he 

lives    in    Nonoava,    and    makes    only    annual    visits    to 

baptise  infants  or  marry  their  elders  who  wish  for  the 

blessings  of  the  Church. 


Indian  Trail  Cut  in  a  Ridge  of  Tuff. 


CHAPTER    XI 


A    PRIEST    A\n     HIS    FAMILY     MAKE    THE     WILDERNESS    COMFORTAHLE 
FOR      US — ANCIENT     REMAINS    SIMILAR     TO    THOSE     SEEN    IN    SO- 

NORA  —  THE     CLIMATE     OF    THE     SIERRA FLORA     AND    FAUNA 

TARAHUMARE     AGRICULTURE CEREMONIES     CONNECTED     WITH 

THE     PLANTING    OF    CORN — DETERIORATION    OF    DOMESTIC    ANI- 
MALS— NATIVE    DOGS    OF    MEXICO. 

I  CALLED  on  tlie  padre  and  found  him  to  be  a  very 
social,  nice,  energetic-looking  person  with  a  tinge 
of  the  "  red  man  "  in  his  veins. 

He  complained  to  me  that  the  Indians  were  lazy 
about  coming  to  mass.  None  of  them  paid  taxes,  and 
there  was  no  w^ay 
of  forcing  them. 
Nearly  all  of  them 
he  considered  hea- 
thens, and  only 
about  a  thousand 
came  to  the  feasts. 
Thev  arrive  in  the 
village  on  the  even- 
ing before,  and  hear 
vespers.  Then  they 
give  themselves  up 
to  drinking,  and  on 
the  feast  dav  prop- 
er are  not  in  a  con- 
dition to  go  to 
church. 

He  thinks  there  are    some   great   men    among  the 
Tarahumares,  but  that,  their  mental  faculties  being  en- 

203 


Pecking  on  Rock  in  the  Neighbourhood  of 
Norogachic. 


204  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

tirely  uncultivated,  they  are,  as  it  were,  rough  diamonds. 
In  the  padre's  opinion  not  only  all  the  Indians,  but  alsa 
the  Mexicans  living  among  them,  will  soon  relapse  into 
paganism  altogether. 

Living  under  rough  conditions  as  he  does,  it  is  a 
lucky  thing  for  the  padre  that  his  physique  is  equal  to 
emergencies.  Once  at  the  neighbouring  village  of 
Tonachic  (=  where  there  are  pillars)  he  admonished  the 
people,  in  a  powerful  sermon,  to  mend  their  ways.  As 
they  were  coming  out  of  the  church,  a  scoundrel  who 
resented  the  charges  attacked  him  with  a  stick,  but  the 
padre  managed  to  disarm  him  and  gave  him  such  a 
sound  thrashing  with  his  assailant's  own  weapon  that 
the  latter  had  to  keep  his  bed  for  a  fortnight. 

He  showed  me  his  stately  old  adobe  church,  built  in 
missionarv  times.  The  ceilino-  however,  was  infested 
with  myriads  of  bats,  the  smell  of  which  was  quite  sick- 
ening, and  I  was  glad  to  get  out  again.  With  him  in 
this  uttermost  outpost  of  Christendom  lived  his  aged 
mother  and  six  sisters,  and  they  treated  us  with  all  the 
hospitality  their  very  limited  means  permitted.  We 
especially  enjoyed  their  home-made  macaroni. 

In  the  family  of  the  good  priest  lived  a  little  Indian 
orphan  girl,  about  five  years  old,  as  nice  and  sweet  a 
child  as  one  might  wish  to  see.  He  was  teaching  her 
how  to  read  and  write,  and  she  had  learned  her  letters 
in  two  months. 

The  padre,  good-natured  to  officiousness,  helped  me 
to  get  Indians  to  be  photograi)hcd.  He  also  would 
insist  upon  arranging  them  before  the  camera.  His 
efforts,  however,  were  directed  more  toward  achieving 
artistic  triumph  than  scientific  truth,  and  he  wanted,  for 
instance,  to  decorate  the  Indians  with  peacock  feathers. 
He  yielded,  however,  to  my  suggestion  that  turkey 
feathers   would    be    more    ai)i)ropriate,  and  straightway 


A    PKIESr    AND    HIS    FAMILY 


20  i 


ordered  one  of  liis  turkeys  to  he  eau<i^ht  and  deprived  of 
some  of  its  tail  feathers.  The  only  way  in  which  I 
could  show  my  appreciation  of  the  disinterested  kind- 
ness of  the  family  was  hy  photographing  them,  too. 
It  was  a  new  sensation  to 
them,  and  the  ladies  asked  to 
have  it  done  next  day,  as  they 
wanted  to  arrange  their  hair 
and  prepare  themselves  prop- 
erly. 

After  them  it  was  the  turn 
of  the  presidente  of  the  village 
"to  look  pleasant,"  but  at  this 
juncture  the  camera  met  with 
an  accident.  The  ring  holding 
the  lens  broke  and  fell  out. 
This  happening  miles  away 
from  civilisation  was  decided- 
ly annoying.  But  the  sisters 
proved  themselves  equal  to 
the  occasion.  Their  father 
having  been  a  tinsmith,  they 
had  picked  up  the  trade  and 
had  tools  ;  and  the  ring  was 
soldered  on  so  well  that  it  lasted  until  I  returned  to  the 
United  States  the  following  year. 

Norogachic  is  situated  in  the  most  populous  part  of 
the  Tarahumare  country,  and  its  presidente  exercises 
authority  over  the  large  surrounding  district.  He  told 
me  that  his  municipality  counted  4,168  souls,  among 
them  about  300  Mexicans.  With  the  help  of  a  very  in- 
telligent Mexican  I  made  a  rough  calculation  of  the 
number  of  Indians  belonging  to  Tonachic  and  Guacho- 
chic,  next  neighbours  of  Norogachic,  and  estimated  in 
the  former  350,  and  in  the  latter  250  families.    Counting 


Tarahumare  Girl  from  the  Neigh- 
bourhood of  Norogachic. 


2o6  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

each  family  as  consistintj^  of  eight  iiieiiilx'is,  tiiis  would 
give  us  a  population  of  4,800.  Thus  the  most  populous 
part  of  the  Tarahumare  countr\-.  inckulino-  the  three 
municipalities  of  Noroo^achic,  Tonachic,  and  Guachochic, 
would  contain  a  population  of  about  8,500  Indians. 

As  the  presidente  of  Norogachic  is  an  honourable 
man  and  speaks  the  native  language,  he  exercised  great 
influence  over  them,  and  on  one  occasion,  when  they 
had  gathered  in  large  numbers  and  threatened  to  avenge 
some  abuse,  he  was  able  to  avert  disaster.  Nature  had 
endowed  him  with  the  doubtful  blessing  of  bloodshot 
eyes,  a  feature  generallv  attributed  to  powerful  sorcerers, 
and  this  was  perhaps  more  a  point  in  his  favour  than 
otherwise  wdth  the  Indians. 

One  day  he  took  us  to  the  top  of  a  hill  where  there 
were  some  stones  set  in  circles,  about  one  foot  above 
and  half  a  foot  under  the  ground.  They  reminded  us  of 
similar  stone  arrangements  we  had  come  ujion  in  So- 
nora,  but  these  were  larger  and  more  primitive.  Alto- 
gether there  were  nine  circles,  varying  in  size  from  nine 
to  thirteen  feet  in  diameter.  One,  however,  measured 
only  five  feet  across,  and  the  stones  forming  it  were  fully 
two  feet  above  the  ground.  Close  by  was  another  simi- 
lar small  circle,  and  some  little  distance  off  still  another. 
On  a  small  mesa  I  found  a  Hint  arrow-jioint.  There 
were  also  some  potsherds  there,  but  of  the  same  kind  as 
those  used  by  the  people  of  to-day. 

;.  The  natives  rightly  count  only  three  seasons — the 
dry,  tlie  rainy,  and  the  winter.  The  fnst  lasts  from 
March  till  June,  and  is  very  warm  and  windy.  Through- 
out July  and  August  one  can  generally  count  on  thun- 
der-storms and  heavy  rains,  while  the  mornings  are  bright. 
The  rains  then  rarely  extend  over  a  large  territory,  but 
are  confined  to  local  showers,  a  circumstance  very  an- 
noying to   the  agricultural   inhabitants,   who  often    see 


CLIMATE    OF    THE    SIEKKA  207 

dark  clouds  rolling  up,  apparcntlv  full  of  moisture,  yet 
resulting-  in  nothing  hut  gusts  of  wind.  A  ridge  may 
change  the  course  of  the  clouds.  Sometimes  one  valley 
may  he  flooded  with  rain,  while  not  far  away  the  heat  is 
drying  up  everything.  During  September  and  October 
more  constant  rains  occur,  and  may  last  more  or  less  for 
a  week  at  a  time. 

In    the   beginning    of    the    wet    season     (July    and 
August)  the  rains  come  from  the  south-west,  but  later 


>T^>% 


Pecking  on  Rock  in  the  Neighbourhood  oi  Norogachic. 

on  north-eastern  winds  l)ring  rain.  In  winter  there  are 
constant  winds  from  the  south-east  to  the  north,  some- 
what trying  until  one  gets  used  to  them.  Snow  is  by 
no  means  unknown,  and  Indians  have  been  known  to 
freeze  to  death  when  caught  out  intoxicated. 

The  climate  in  the  sierra,  although  not  so  pleasant 
on  account  of  the  constant  winds,  is  extremely  salubri- 
ous, the  heat  never  exceeding  97°  F.,  while  the  nights 
are  deliciously  cool.  Lung  diseases  are  here  unknown. 
When  I  asked  an  old  American  doctor  in  Guadalupe  y 
Calvo  about  his  experience  in  regard  to  the  health  of 
the    people,    he    said,    "  Well,    here    in    the    mountains 


2o8  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

thcv  are  distressing!}'  healthy.  Despite  a  complete  de- 
fiance of  every  sanitary  arrangement,  with  the  grave- 
yards, the  sewers,  and  a  tannery  at  the  river's  edge,  no 
diseases  originate  here.  When  cholera  reached  the 
mountains  some  years  ago,  nobody  died  from  it.  The 
people  simply  took  a  hath  in  Mexican  fashion,  and  re- 
covered." Down  in  the  barrancas,  however,  where  the 
heat  often  becomes  excessive,  the  climate  is  far  from 
healthy,  and  I  have  seen  even  Indians  ill  with  fever  and 
ague,  contracted  generally  during  the  rainy  season. 

Between  these  two  extremes,  on  the  slopes  of  the 
sierra,  toward  the  warm  country,  at  an  elevation  of  5,000 
feet,  I  found  the  most  delightful  climate  I  ever  knew.  It 
was  like  eternal  spring,  the  air  pure  and  the  temperature 
remarkably  even.  There  is  a  story  of  a  Mexican  wom- 
an, who,  settling  in  this  part  of  the  country,  broke  her 
thermometer  because  the  mercury  never  moved  and  she 
therefore  concluded  that  it  was  out  of  order.  The 
pleasantness  of  the  climate  struck  me  particularly  on 
one  occasion,  after  a  prolonged  stay  in  the  invigorating 
though  windy  climate  of  the  sierra.  I  had  caught  a 
cold  the  night  before,  and  was  not  feeling  very  well  as  I 
dozed  on  the  back  of  my  mule  while  it  worked  its  way 
down  the  mountain-side,  but  the  sleep  and  the  delight- 
ful balmy  air  made  me  soon  feel  well  again.  At  times 
a  mild  zej^hyr  played  around  us,  but  invariably  died  out 
about  sunset.  The  night  was  delightfully  calm,  toward 
morning  turning  slightly  cooler,  and  there  was  nothing 
to  disturb  my  sleep  under  a  big  fig-tree  but  the  bits  of 
figs  that  were  thrown  down  by  the  multitudes  of  bats  in 
its  branches.  They  were  gorging  themselves  on  the 
fruit,  just  as  we  had  done  the  afternoon  before. 

Journeying  on  the  pine-clad  highlands,  the  traveller 
finds  nothing  to  remind  iiim  that  he  is  in  the  southern 
latitudes,    except    an    occasional    glimpse    of    an    agave 


FLORA   AND   FAUNA  211 

hetwcen  rocks  and  the  fantastic  cacti,  which,  although 
so  characteristic  of  Mexican  vegetation,  are  compara- 
tively scarce  in  the  iiigii  sierra.  The  nopal  cactus, 
whose  juicy  fruit,  called  tuna,  and  Hat  leaf-like  joints 
are  an  important  article  of  food  among  the  Indians,  is 
found  here  and  there,  and  is  often  planted  near  the 
dwellings  of  the  natives.  There  are  also  a  few  species 
of  EcJiiiiocactus  and  Mammilaria,  but  on  the  whole  the 
cacti  form  no  conspicuous  feature  in  the  higher  altitudes 
of  the  sierra. 

Along  the  streamlets  which  may  be  found  in  the 
numerous  small  valleys  we  met  with  the  slender  ash 
trees,  beside  alders,  shrubs,  Euonyuius  with  brilliant  red 
capsules,  willows,  etc.  Conspicuous  in  the  landscape 
was  still  the  madrona,  with  its  pretty,  strawberry-like, 
edible  berries. 

Flowers  on  the  whole  are  not  abundant  in  the  sierra. 
The  modest  yellow  Miuiithis  along  the  water-courses  is 
the  first  to  come  and  the  last  to  go.  Various  forms  of 
columbine  {Aqiiilegia)  and  meadow  rue  {Thalictrinji) 
should  also  be  remembered.  In  August  and  Septem- 
ber I  have  seen  the  sloping  hills  of  the  sierra  n-orth-west 
of  the  pueblo  of  Panalachic  (Banalachic  ;  banala  =  face, 
i.  e.,  the  outline  of  a  prominent  rock  near  by),  covered 
with  large  crimson  flowers,  and  also  certain  yellow  ones, 
called  bagiiis,  making  the  country  appear  like  a  garden. 
I  noticed  in  the  same  locality  two  kinds  of  lovely  lilies, 
one  yellow  and  one  containing  a  single  large  red  flower. 
The  Tarahumare  have  nanies  for  all  these  plants. 

Before  all,  however,  should  be  mentioned  the  car- 
mine-red Amaryllis.  Like  the  crocus  and  the  snow- 
drops of  northern  climates  it  aj)pears  before  the  grass  is 
green.  It  is  a  perfect  treat  to  the  eye  to  meet  now  and 
then  in  this  dry  and  sandy  country,  and  at  such  a  chilly 
elevation,  this  exquisitely  beautiful  flower,  which  is  here 


212  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

appreciated  only  by  the  humming-birds.  Edible  plants, 
species  of  Mentha,  Chcnopodiiiui,  Cirsimn,  for  instance, 
and  the  common  water-cress,  are,  at  a  certain  lime  of 
the  year,  numerous ;  but  fruits  and  berries  are  rare, 
blackberries  being  the  most  common  ones. 

Animal  life  is  not  j^articularly  plentiful  in  the  sierra. 
Still,  deer,  bears,  and  mountain  lions  are  fairlv  common, 
and  there  are  many  kinds  of  squirrels  and  rats.  The 
jaguar  {fclis  onza)  is  found  now  and  then  on  the  sum- 
mits of  the  barrancas.  Eagles,  hawks,  turkeys,  black- 
birds, and  crows  are  the  most  noticeable  birds.  The 
turkey  is  called  by  the  Tarahumares,  tshlvi  ;  by  the 
Mexicans  of  the  sierra  of  QX-xxX^wd^^w-A,  guajolotc  ;  while 
farther  south  he  is  designated  cocoiio.  Now  and  then 
the  luilliant  green  trogon  is  met  with. 

There  are  many  species  of  woodpeckers,  all  familiar 
to  and  named  by  the  Tarahumares.  The  giant  wood- 
pecker is  seen  in  the  more  remote  parts,  but  it  is  on  the 
point  of  being  exterminated,  because  the  Tarahumares 
consider  his  one  or  two  young  such  a  delicacy  that  they 
do  not  hesitate  to  cut  down  even  large  trees  to  get  at 
the  nests.  The  Mexicans  shoot  them  because  their 
plumage  is  thought  to  be  beneficial  to  health.  It  is 
held  close  to  the  ears  and  the  head  in  order  to  impart 
its  supposed  magnetism  and  keep  out  tiie  maleficent 
effects  of  the  wind.  In  the  pairing-  season  these  birds 
keep  up  a  chattering  noise,  which  to  my  ears  was  far 
from  disagreeable,  but  very  irritating  to  a  Mexican 
whom  I  employed.  He  used  to  shoot  the  birds  be- 
cause they  annovetl  him. 

Corn  is  the  most  important  agricultural  product  of 
the  Tarahumares.  The  average  cro])  of  a  familv  mav  be 
estimated  at  six  or  twelve  fanegas.  One  exceptionally 
rich  'i\\rahumare,  now  dead,  is  said  to  have  raised  as 
mucii  as  foui"  hundred    fanegas  a  year,  but  this  was  a  fact 


TARAHUMAKE   AGKICl  LTURE  213 

uniciut'  in  the  liistoiy  of  the  tribe.  The  peo[)le  also  raise 
beans,  s(juashes,  chile,  and  tobacco,  all  on  an  exceed- 
ingly small  scale.  On  the  highlands,  the  primitive 
plough  already  described  (page  121)  is  still  used  some- 
times, though  it  is  rapidly  being  superseded  by  ploughs 
of  Mexican  pattern.  In  the  arroyos  and  barrancas, 
where  the  condition  of  the  land  makes  ploughing  im- 
possible, the  Indians  use  the  ancient  mode  of  agricul- 
ture, still  in  vogue  among  remote  natives  of  Mexico 
and  called  coaniillar.  They  cut  down  the  trees,  clear  a 
piece  of  land  from  brushwood,  and  leave  it  in  this  con- 
dition until  just  before  the  wet  season  sets  in.  Then 
they  burn  the  wood,  which  by  that  time  is  well  dried  up, 
and  plant  the  corn  in  the  ashes.  They  simply  make  a 
hole  in  the  earth  with  a  stick,  drop  a  few  grains  of  corn 
into  it,  and  close  it  up  with  the  foot.  Of  the  usual  num- 
ber of  grains  I  am  not  aware.  The  Tepehuanes  use 
four.  Their  hoes  are  generally  bought  from  the  Mexicans 
or  else  home-made,  the  natural  knotted  growths  of  tree 
limbs  being  utilised.  Women  never  assist  in  ploughing, 
though  they  may  be  seen  helping  in  the  fields  with  the 
weeding  and  hoeins:,  and  even  with  the  harvesting. 

In  the  sierra  a  piece  of  land  may  yield  good  crops  for 
three  years  in  succession  without  manure,  but  in  the 
broad  mountain  valleys  and  on  the  mesas  a  family  can 
use  the  same  field  year  after  year  for  twenty  or  thirty  sea- 
sons. On  the  other  hand,  down  in  the  barrancas,  a  field 
cannot  be  used  more  than  two  years  in  succession,  be- 
cause the  corn-plants  in  that  time  are  already  suffocated 
with  weeds.  The  planting  is  done  from  the  middle  of 
April  to  the  first  week  in  July,  and  the  harvest  begins 
about  the  first  week  in  October  and  lasts  until  the  be- 
ginning of  December. 

Communal  principles  prevail  in  clearing  the  fields,  in 
ploughing — each  furrow  in  a  field  is  ploughed  by  a  dif- 


214  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

ferent  man — in  corn  planting,  in  hoeing,  weeding,  harvest- 
ing, gathering  wood  for  feasts,  in  fishing  and  in  hunting. 

If  a  man  wants  to  have  his  field  attended  to,  the  first 
thing  he  has  to  do  is  to  prepare  a  good  quantity  of  the 
national  stimulant,  a  kind  of  beer  called  tcsvino.  The 
more  of  this  he  has,  the  larger  the  piece  of  land  he  can 
cultivate,  for  the  only  payment  his  helpers  expect  and 
receive  is  tesvino. 

The  master  of  the  house  and  his  sons  always  do  first 
one  day's  work  alone,  before  their  friends  and  neighbours 
come  to  help  them.  Then  they  begin  in  earnest  to  clear 
the  field  of  stones,  carrying  them  in  their  arms  or  blan- 
kets, and  cut  down  the  brushwood.  Tesvino  is  brought 
out  into  the  field,  and  iskiate,  and  the  men,  all  very 
much  under  the  influence  of  the  liquor,  work  with  the 
animation  of  a  heap  of  disturbed  ants. 

When  the  work  of  hoeing  and  weeding  is  finished, 
the  workers  seize  the  master  of  the  field,  and,  tying  his 
arms  crosswise  behind  him,  load  all  the  implements,  that 
is  to  say,  the  hoes,  upon  his  back,  fastening  them  with 
ropes.  Then  they  form  two  single  columns,  the  land- 
lord in  the  middle  between  them,  and  all  facing  the 
house.  Thus  they  start  homeward.  Simultaneously  the 
two  men  at  the  heads  of  the  columns  begin  to  run  rapidly 
forward  some  thirty  yards,  cross  each  other,  then  turn 
back,  run  along  the  two  columns,  cross  each  other  again 
at  the  rear  and  take  tlicir  j)laces  each  at  the  end  of 
his  row.  As  they  pass  each  other  ahead  and  in  the  rear 
of  the  columns  they  beat  their  mouths  with  the  hollovv^ 
of  their  hands  and  veil.  As  soon  as  thev  reacli  their 
places  at  the  foot,  the  next  pair  in  front  of  the  columns 
starts  off,  running  in  the  same  wa\',  and  thus  pair  after 
pair  performs  the  tour,  the  procession  all  the  time  ad- 
vancing toward  the  house. 

A  short  distance   in  fionl  of    it   they  come  to  a   halt, 


TESVINO    RITES  215 

and  are  met  bv  two  young  men  who  carry  red  handker- 
chiefs tied  to  sticks  like  (lags.  The  father  of  the  family, 
still  tied  up  and  loaded  with  the  hoes,  steps  forward  alone 
and  kneels  down  in  front  of  his  house-door.  The  flag- 
bearers  wave  their  banners  over  him,  and  the  women  of 
the  household  come  out  and  kneel  on  their  left  knees, 
first  toward  the  east,  and  after  a  little  while  toward  each 
of  the  other  cardinal  points,  west,  south,  and  north. 

In  conclusion  the  flags  are  waved  in  front  of  the 
house.  The  father  then  rises  and  the  people  untie  him, 
whereupon  he  first  salutes  the  women  with  the  usual 
greeting,  "Kwira!"  or  "  Kwireva ! "  Now  they  all  go 
into  the  house,  and  the  man  makes  a  short  speech  thank- 
ing them  all  for  the  assistance  they  have  given  him,  for 
how  could  he  have  gotten  through  his  work  without 
them?  They  have  provided  him  with  a  year's  life  (that 
is,  with  the  wherewithal  to  sustain  it),  and  now  he  is  go- 
ing to  give  them  tesvino.  He  gives  a  drinking-gourd 
full  to  each  one  in  the  assembly,  and  appoints  one  man 
among  them  to  distribute  more  to  all. 

The  same  ceremony  is  performed  after  the  ploughing 
and  after  the  harvesting.  On  the  first  occasion  the  tied 
man  may  be  made  to  carry  the  yoke  of  the  oxen,  on  the 
second  he  does  not  carrv  anything. 

The  southern  Tarahumares,  as  well  as  the  northern 
Tepehuanes,  at  harvest  time,  tie  together  some  ears  of 
corn  by  the  husks,  two  and  two.  The  ears  are  se- 
lected from  plants  which  have  at  least  three  or  four 
■ears,  and  after  a  while  tesvino  is  made  from  them.  At 
the  harvesting  feast,  the  stalks  of  these  plants  are  strewn 
on  the  ground,  as  well  as  stalks  of  squash  plants,  and 
over  them  the  people  dance  kuvala.  y(_ 

The  Tarahumare  takes  good  care  of  his  domestic 
animals  and  never  kills  one  of  them,  unless  it  be  for  a 
sacrifice.      Sheep   and  goats   are  kept  at  night   in    en- 


2l6 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


closures  or  caves.  The  shepherd  follows  his  flock 
wherever  the  animals  choose  to  find  their  food,  and 
there  are  no  better  herdsmen  than  the  Tarahumarcs, 
who  wisely  trust  to  the  natural  instinct  of  the  beasts. 
They  do  not  pride  themselves  on  breeds.  It  is  as- 
tonishing to  notice  the  number  of  rams  with  two  pairs 
of  horns  among  the  tribe.  In  every  flock  two  or  three 
specimens  may  be  observed,  one  pair  bending  forward 
the  other  to  the  side.  I  have  seen  some  with  three 
pairs  of  horns.  Near  Nonoava,  where  the  Indians  are 
much  Mexicanised,  they  make  butter  and  cheese,  using 
the  rennets  from  the  cow,  sheep,  and  deer,  but  they  do 
not  drink  the  milk,  saying  tiiat  it  makes  them  stupid, 
and  they  are  watchful  to  prevent  their  children  from 
drinking  it.  Dogs  are  not  much  liked  except  for  hunt- 
ing. A  great  number  of  them  hang  around  the  houses, 
but  thev  have  to  make  their  own  living  as  best  they 
can.  They  are  of  the  same  mongrel  class  found  every- 
where among  the  Indians  of  to-day.  They  are  gen- 
erally of  a   brownish   color  and   not  large,  but  some  of 

them  are  yellow  and  with 
ears  erect. 

The  so-called  dogs  of 
Chihuahua,  which  com- 
mand quite  a  price  among 
dog-fanciers,  are  found 
onlv  in  the  capital  of  the 
state.  They  are  small  pet 
dogs  and  vcrv  timid,  with 
large  ears  and  prominent 
eyes.  1  undeistantl  that 
the  yellowish-brown  are  considered  I  lie  puiest  bieed,  but 
they  are  found  in  many  different  coUms,  from  snow-white 
and  black-and-white  t(j  dark-brown.  They  are  said  to 
have  a  small  cavity  on  the  top  of  the  head,  though  ac- 


Dogs  of  Chihuahua. 


DOGS   OF   CHIHUAHUA  217 

cording  to  some  authorities  this  is  not  an  unfaiHng  mark 
of  the  breed,  whieh  seems  to  be  indigenous.  The  ilHter- 
ate  Mexican,  in  his  tendency  to  connect  everything  good 
with  Montezuma,  thinks  that  the  pure  dogs  of  Chihua- 
hua are  descendants  of  those  which  were  left  behind  by 
that  regent  near  Casas  Grandes  at  the  time  wiien  he 
started  south,  which  afterward  became  wild  and  degen- 
erated into  the  prairie-dogs  of  to-day. 

Another  dog  indigenous  to  Mexico  is  the  hairless 
dog,  also  a  pet,  found  throughout  the  republic  among 
the  Mexicans.  It  is  credited  with  possessing  curative 
properties,  for  which  reason  people  keep  them  in  their 
beds  with  them  at  night. 


CHAPTER    XII 


THE  TARAHUMARES  STILL  AFRAID  OF  ME — DON  ANDRES  MADRID 
TO  THE  RESCUE— MEXICAN  ROBBERS  AMONG  THE  TARAHU- 
MARES— MODE    OF    BURIAL    IN    ANCIENT     CAVES VISIT    TO    NO- 

NOAVA THE    INDIANS    CHANGE    THEIR    MINDS    ABOUT    ME,    AND 

REGARD    ME    AS    A    RAIN-GOD WHAT    THE    TARAHUMARES    EAT 

A     PRETTY     CHURCH     IN    THE     WILDERNESS 1    FIND    AT    LAST 

A     RELIABLE      INTERPRETER     AND     PROCEED     TO     LIVE     A     l'iN- 
DIENNE. 


A 


S  I  travelled  along  I  found  the  natives  unobliging 
and  afraid  of  me.  One  man  who  had  hid  hini- 
self,  but  was  after  a  while  forced  to  reappear,  bluntly 
asked,  "  Are  you  not  the  man  who  kills  the  fat  girls 
and  the  children  ?  "  At  another  time  I  was  taken  for 
Pedro  Chaparro,  the  famous  robber,  who  had  notori- 
ouslv  deceived  the  Indians.  The  guide  took  only  a 
half-hearted  interest  in  me,  as  he  feared  that  by  being 
seen  with  me  he  was  ruining  his  trade  with  the  na- 
tives, who  were  especially  suspicious  about  my  writing  in 
mv  note-book,  taking  it  as  a  j)roof  of  my  design  to  take 
their  land  away  from  them.  Still,  I  accomplished  a 
good  deal  and  made  interesting  observations,  though 
the  difhculties  under  which  I  had  to  labour  were  quite 
exiisjjerating. 

It  was  a  positive  relief,  whtMi  in  the  beginning  of 
August,  six  weeks  after  my  start  from  Guachochic,  I 
arrived  at  Guajochic  (guajo  =  sancudo,  a  small  mos- 
(]uito),  one  of  the  stations  where  the  bullion  trains  stop 
on  their  travels  between  Batopilas  and  Carichic.  The 
man  then   in  ciiarge  of  this  rather  lonelv  looking  j)lace. 


DON   ANDRES   TO   THE   RESCUE 


219 


Andres  Madrid,  turned  out  to  be  very  interesting.  Born 
of  Tarahumare  parents,  in  the  town  of  Carichic,  he  had 
received  quite  a  lil)cral  Mexican  education  and  was  virt- 
ually a  Mexican,  though  in  hearty  sympathy  with  his 
native  tribe.  His  grandfather  had  been  a  noted  shaman, 
or  medicine  man, 
whom  Don  Andres, 
as  a  boy,  had  accom- 
panied on  his  travels. 
He  was  intelligent, 
lively  and  imagina- 
tive, of  a  strong  hu- 
mourous vein,  and 
very  entertaining. 
Generous  in  giving 
information  about 
the  Indians,  and 
speaking  the  native 
language,  he  would 
have  made  an  ideal 
interpreter,  except 
for  the  fact  that  he 
grew  tired  too  easily. 
Only  by  piecemeal 
and  when  having  an 
abundance  of  time 
could  an  ethnologist 
expect  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  his  ac- 
complishments. As 
he  was  honest,  and 
helpful  to  the  In- 
dians, and  besides  was  a  representative  of  the  Mexican 
authorities,  the  Indians  had  unlimited  respect,  nay,  ado- 
ration, for  him. 


Tarahumare  Girdles. 


220  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Knowing  all  that  happens  in  the  sierra,  he  had 
alreadv  heard  of  me  some  lime  ago,  and  laughed  at  the 
cannil)alistie  propensities  attributed  to  me.  He  imme- 
diately sent  a  messenger  to  el  eapitan  at  Nararachic, 
to  advise  him  of  my  arrival,  and  to  request  him  to 
tell  the  Indians  to  present  themselves  to  be  photo- 
graphed by  a  man  who  eame  from  Porhrio  Diaz,  a  name 
to  conjure  with  in  Mexico,  who  wanted  to  know  all 
ai)out  the  Tarahumares.  Nararachic  is  an  insignificant 
pueblo,  to  which  the  Indians  of  this  locality  belong. 
The  name  means  "where  one  was  weeping." 

Being  taken  under  the  wing  of  Don  Andres  benefitted 
me  in  many  ways.  When  the  Indians  from  the  hills 
all  around  could  see  my  white  tent  close  by  his  little 
home,  they  understood  that  I  could  not  be  so  bad,  or 
else  the  good  Don  Andres  would  not  have  anything 
to  do  with  me. 

The  Indians  in  the  vicinity  had  recently  gone 
through  the  sensation  of  fiijhtino-  with  four  real  rob- 
bers,  wdio  had  several  times  succeeded  in  plundering 
store-houses  while  the  owners  were  off  at  some  feast.  At 
last  the  Indians  had  caught  them.  The  thieves  travelled 
on  foot,  but  had  a  pack-horse  which  carried  all  the  blan- 
kets and  handkerchiefs  stolen,  the  total  value  of  which 
ran  up  to  $112.  Sixty-five  Tarahumares  had  banded 
together  in  the  course  of  four  or  five  hours,  and  obliged 
the  robbers  to  take  refuge  in  a  cave,  from  which  they 
defended  themselves  with  rifles  for  several  hours.  The 
Tarahumares  first  threw  stones  at  them,  as  they  did  not 
want  to  waste  their  arrows.  I^nally  Don  Andres,  who 
had  been  sent  for,  arri\'ed  at  the  place,  and  induced 
the  robbers  to  surrender;  but  only  with  difficulty  could 
he  prevent  the  Tarahumares  from  attacking  them. 
"  What  does  it  matter,"  they  said,  "if  one  or  two  of  us 
are  killed?"      Cowards  as  the  ^rarahumares   are  when 


MODE   OF   CAVE-BURIAL  221 

few  in  number,  thc}'  do  not  know  fear  when  many  of 
them  are  toiiether.  They  are  harmless  when  not  inter- 
fered with,  but  neither  fori^et  nor  forgive  an  injury. 
On  several  oeeasions  they  have  killed  white  men  who 
abused  their  hospitality,  and  they  even  threatened  once, 
when  exasperated  by  abuses,  to  exterminate  all  the 
whites  in  some  sections  of  their  domain. 

The  robbers  were  taken  by  an  escort  of  Indians  to 
the  little  town  of  Carichic,  and  from  there  sent  to  Cu- 
sihuiriachic  ("  where  upriglit  pole  is  ")  to  be  tried.  This 
place  is  about  a  hundred  miles  from  Nararachic,  and  as  the 
Indians  during  the  next  weeks  were  called  to  be  present 
at  the  trial  as  witnesses,  it  annoyed  them  not  a  little. 
They  were  sorry  they  had  not  killed  the  evil-doers  ;  and 
it  would  even  have  been  better,  they  said,  to  have  let 
them  go  on  stealing. 

In  the  fight  the  gobernador  had  got  a  bullet  through 
his  lung.  I  saw  him  a  fortnight  afterward,  smoking  a 
cigarette  and  on  the  way  to  recovery,  and  after  some 
days  he,  too,  walked  to  Cusihuiriachic.  A  few  months 
later  the  robbers  managed  to  dig  themselves  out  of  the 
prison. 

On  an  excursion  of  about  ten  miles  through  the 
picturesque  Arroyo  de  las  Iglesias,  I  passed  seventeen 
caves,  of  which  only  one  was  at  present  inhabited.  All 
of  them,  however,  had  been  utilised  as  dwellings  before 
the  construction  of  the  road  to  Batopilas  had  driven  the 
Indians  off. 

I  saw  also  a  few  ancient  cave-dwellings.  Of  consid- 
erable interest  were  some  burial-caves  near  Nararachic, 
especially  one  called  Narajerachic  {=  where  the  dead  are 
dancing).  A  Mexican  had  been  for  six  years  engaged 
there  in  digging  out  saltpetre,  with  which  he  made 
powder,  and  the  cave  was  much  spoiled  for  research 
when   I  visited  it.      But  I  was  able  to  take  awav  some 


222  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

thirty  well-preserved  skulls  and  a  few  eomplete  skeletons^ 
the  bodies  having  dried  up  in  the  saltpetre.  Some  elothing 
with  feathers  woven  in,  and  some  hits  of  obsidian  and 
of  blue  thread  were  found,  but  no  weapons  or  utensils, 
Aeeording  to  the  miner,  who  appeared  to  be  trust- 
worthy, he  had  excavated  more  than  a  hundred  corpses. 
They  were  generally  found  two  and  a  half  feet  below 
the  surface,  and  sometimes  there  were  others  under- 
neath these.  With  many  of  them  he  found  ear  orna- 
ments made  of  shells,  such  as  the  Tarahumares  of  to-day 
use,  besides  some  textile  made  of  plant  fibre,  and  a  jar 
with  beans. 

A  few  months  later  at  Aboreachic  (Tarahumare  : 
Aoreachic  =■  where  there  is  mountain  cedar)  I  exam- 
ined a  burial-cave  in  which  the  dead  were  interred  in  a 
different  manner  from  that  described  before.  The  cave 
is  somewhat  difficult  of  access.  The  ascent  of  300  feet 
has  to  be  made  over  a  track  at  some  places  so  steep  that 
holes  have  been  cut  for  the  feet,  to  enable  a  person  to 
climb  up.  On  reaching  the  top  1  found  a  spacious 
cave,  which  had  been  used  as  a  kind  of  cemetery,  but 
unfortunately  the  peculiarity  of  the  cave  had  attracted 
treasure-seekers,  whose  destructive  work  was  every- 
where to  be  seen.  Still  I  could  see  that  the  corj)ses 
had  been  placed  each  by  itself  in  a  grave  in  the  floor  of 
the  cave.  The  graves  were  oblong  or  circular  basins 
lined  with  a  coating  of  grass  and  mud  and  about  three 
feet  deep.  Apparently  no  earth  had  been  placed  im- 
mediately over  the  bodv,  only  boards  all  around  it  laid 
lengthwise  in  a  kind  of  box.  The  bodies  were  bent 
up  and  laid  on  their  sides.  Over  the  top  boards  was 
sj)read  a  layer  of  pine  bark  about  an  inch  thick,  which 
in  turn  was  covered  with  earth  and  rul)bish  three  inches 
deep,  and  this  was  overlaid  with  the  coating  of  grass 
and   mud  so  as  to  form  a  solid  disk  four  or  five  inches 


VISIT    lO   N()XOA\  A  223 

thick.  The  edge  of  the  basin  was  slightly  raised,  thus 
making  the  disk  a  little  higher  than  the  level  of  the 
fioor.  I  secured  four  skulls  from  here,  besides  a  piece 
of  excellently  woven  cloth  of  plant  fibre,  another  piece 
interwoven  with  turkey  feathers,  and  a  fragment  of  a 
wooden  needle. 

Don  Andres  told  me  that  he  had  observed  similar 
modes  of  burial  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Nararachic. 
It  may  be  worth  mentioning  that  the  miner  who  exca- 
vated in  the  burial-cave  near  Nararachic  mentioned 
above,  told  me  of  having  met  with  somewhat  similar 
structures  in  his  cave  ;  the  material  was  the  same,  but 
they  were  of  different  sizes,  not  larger  than  two  feet, 
and  he  found  them  empty. 

The  ancient  modes  of  burial  that  I  have  come  upon 
in  the  Tarahumare  country  are  either  like  those  in 
Nararachic  or  in  Aboreachic.  There  scarcely  seems 
any  doubt  that  the  bodies  buried  here  were  Tarahu- 
mares.  The  Indians  of  to-day  consider  the  dead  in  the 
ancient  burial-caves  their  brethren,  and  call  them  Ana- 
yauli,  the  ancients. 

From  Guajochic  I  went  to  Nonoava  (in  Tarahumare  : 
Nonoa,  nono  =  father),  although  this  town  is  outside 
of  the  Tarahumare  country  proper.  The  natives  here, 
as  may  be  expected,  are  pretty  well  Mexicanised,  and 
losing  their  customs,  religion,  and  language.  The  Apache 
raids  were  well  remembered  here,  as  they  were  in  Cari- 
chic,  Cusarare,  and  Bocovna. 

I  came  upon  a  Mexican  here  who  had  married  a 
Tarahumare  woman.  His  predilection  for  her  tribe 
was  also  attested  by  his  dress,  which  was  exactly  like 
that  worn  by  the  natives.  He  had  a  dark,  almost  swarthy 
complexion,  but  otherwise  he  did  not  resemble  an  Ind- 
ian. His  big  stomach  and  short  arms  and  legs  be- 
trayed his  real  race,  and  contrasted  strangely  with  the 


224  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

slender  limbs  and  graceful  movements  of  the  Taiahu- 
mares. 

Near  Nonoava  I  photograj)hed  a  magnificent  fig-iree 
of  the  kind  called  bcyoia,  the  fruit  of  which  is  appreciated 
even  by  the  Mexicans.  It  was  ii6  feet  across,  and  the 
leaves,  as  in  other  trees  of  the  species,  were  ver)^  small. 
There  are  larger  trees  of  this  kind  to  be  found,  but  they 
are  rare.  In  the  wet  season,  when  the  figs  are  ripe,  the 
Tarahumares  have  a  habit  of  singing  under  the  trees  while 
gathering  the  fruit. 

I  noticed  some  beautiful  mezquites  in  the  bed  of 
a  creek,  the  bottom  of  which  was  clayish.  Although 
the  season  for  it  was  late,  Indians  were  gathering  the 
fruit.  The  proper  season  is  before  the  rain  sets  in. 
The  Indians  throw  the  seeds  awav,  but  boil  the  fruit, 
grinding  it  between  stones  and  mixing  it  with  water. 
This  drink  is  also  used  through  Sonora  and  Chihuahua 
by  the  Mexicans. 

On  my  return  I  again  spent  some  time  in  Guajochic. 
The  Indians  came  to  visit  me  every  day,  and  following 
my  rule  of  giving  to  every  visitor  something  to  eat, 
I  was  making  satisfactory  progress  in  cultivating  their 
friendship.  Some  of  them  after  eating  from  my  plates 
and  cups,  went  to  the  river  to  rinse  their  mouths  and 
wash  their  hands  carefully,  to  get  rid  of  any  evil  that 
might  lurk  in  the  white  man's  implements.  To  be  gen- 
erous is  the  first  step  toward  gaining  the  confidence  of 
both  the  Indians  and  the  Mexicans,  and  a  gift  of  food 
is  more  eloquent  than  a  long  speech.  Tiie  Indian,  how- 
ever, before  he  knows  you,  always  wants  to  see  vou  eat 
first. 

I  interviewed  many  of  the  shamans,  and  began  to 
gain  some  little  knowledge  of  their  songs,  which  helped 
to  l)ring  me  nearer  to  them.  Shortly  after  my  first  ar- 
rival  here  it    haj)pened    that  rain  fell,  and    precij)ilati()ns 

Vol..  I.— 15 


I    PASS    AS    A    RAIN    GOD  225 

continued  quite  frcMjUcntly  during  my  stay.  The  Ind- 
ians, who  are  intensely  interested  in  rain,  to  obtain 
whieh  they  make  so  many  exertions  and  sacrifices,  evi- 
dently began  to  connect  my  presence  with  it.  Before 
my  departure  they  confided  to  Don  .Vndres  that  "  It 
was  no  good  that  that  man  went  away  ;  it  might  iiappen 
that  he  carried  the  rain  with  him."  They  even  seemed 
to  delight  now  in  posing  before  my  mysterious  camera, 
which  they  imagined  to  be  a  powerful  rain-maker.  I 
heard  no  more  excuses  for  not  wanting  to  be  photo- 
graphed. They  no  longer  told  me  that  it  would  cause 
their  death,  and  that  their  god  would  be  angry  with 
them  ;  nor  was  there  any  more  of  that  unwillingness 
expressed  by  one  Indian  who  told  me  that,  inasmuch 
as  he  did  not  owe  me  anything,  he  did  not  want  to  be 
photographed.  Thus,  almost  wnthout  knowing  it,  I  es- 
tablished friendly  relations  wnth  the  people. 

However,  it  must  not  be  thought  that  all  my 
troubles  were  ended  yet.  The  Indians  are  very  clannish, 
and,  although  my  damaged  prestige  was  now  almost  re- 
stored, and,  no  doubt,  favourable  rumours  heralded  me 
wherever  I  went,  still  the  good-will  of  each  district  had 
in  a  way  to  be  won.  Many  months  later,  when  I  found 
myself  among  the  pagans  farther  south,  I  was  interpel- 
lated quite  persistently  on  the  subject  of  the  skulls  in 
Yoquibo.  They  wanted  to  know  why  I  had  dug  them 
up.  My  Mexican  interpreter,  whom  they  took  to  task 
on  the  subject,  advanced  an  explanation,  which  was  no 
doubt  strictly  in  accordance  with  his  best  knowledge  and 
belief.  He  declared  that  my  object  had  been  to  find  out 
whether  those  people  had  been  properly  baptised — a  rea- 
son which  apparently  perfectly  satisfied  the  Indians. 

I  travelled  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  making  my 
Avay  back  to  Guachochic,  over  the  highlands  of  Huma- 
risa  (humashi  =  to  run).     This   locality  is   of   consider- 


226  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

able  elevation,  with  the  Indian  ranches  lying"  about  here 
and  there  on  strips  of  level  land,  which  run  in  among 
the  rocky  hills  like  fjords.  Bears  are  (juite  common 
here,  and  the  Indians  have  difficulty  in  guarding  their 
^elds  against  them.  They  are  not  even  to  be  frightened 
by  stones,  and  at  night  they  will  eat  corn  until  they  have 
enough,  and  then  walk  away. 

The  time  of  the  year  in  wdiich  it  is  most  difficult  for 
the  Indians  to  subsist  had  passed,  and  the  copious  rains 
of  the  past  months  had  developed  ears  of  corn.  Rarely 
or  never  do  the  Indians  plant  corn  enough  to  last  them 
all  the  year  round,  and  they  have,  therefore,  during  the 
summer  to  depend  for  support  mainly  on  herbs,  roots, 
fruits,  etc.  The  leaves  and  flow^ers  of  the  ash-tree  are 
cooked  and  eaten,  and  the  flowers  of  the  pine-tree.  They 
never  sufl"er  from  hunger  wdien  living  near  a  river,  udiere 
they  can  fish,  but  in  the  highlands  they  have  been  known 
to  die  of  starvation. 

These  natives  are  fonder  of  corn  than  of  anv  other 
food,  and  wdien  working  for  the  wdiites  would  leave  with- 
out a  w^ord  if  no  more  corn  or  flour  were  forthcoming. 
They  like,  too,  to  have  meat  every  day,  though  they  can- 
not always  get  it.  They  rarely,  if  ever,  kill  any  of  their 
domestic  animals  for  food,  as,  according  to  their  views, 
man  is  only  the  manager  for  the  gods  to  whom  these 
creatures  really  belong,  and  cows,  sheep,  and  the  like 
can  be  killed  only  as  sacrifices  and  eaten  at  the  feasts. 
But  any  kind  of  animal  in  the  forest  and  field,  in  the  air 
and  the  water,  is  acceptable.  I  once  asked  a  strong  and 
healthy-looking  Indian  how  he  managed  to  keep  in  sueii 
good  condition,  when  food  was  so  scarce,  and  he  said 
that  he  ate  meat.  "  What  kind  of  meat  ?"  I  asked,  and 
he  replied,  "  Mice,  gophers,  and  small  birds."  Their 
favourite  meal,  however,  is  deer,  mice,  and  skunks. 

Ciiunks  of   meal  are  simplv  laid   ui)on   the  coals  to 


E 

D 

X 

.s 


o 


h 


WHAT    THE    TAKAHIMAKES    EAT       229 

roast,  or  turned  before  tlie  lire  on  a  wooden  spit,  the 
ends  of  which  rest  on  stones.  This,  by  the  way,  is  the 
universal  method  of  cooking  meat  in  Mexico.  These  Ind- 
ians often  eat  their  meat  ahnost  raw,  nor  have  they  any 
reputjnance  to  blood,  but  boil  and  eat  it.  Fish  and  frogs 
are  broiled  by  being  placed  between  two  thin  sticks  tied 
together  at  the  ends  to  do  duty  as  a  gridiron. 

The  flowers  of  the  maize  are  dried  in  the  sun,  ground 
and  mixed  with  water  ;  if  not  required  for  immediate 
consumption  they  are  put  in  jars  and  kept  for  the  win- 
ter. Many  herbs  are  very  palatable,  as,  for  instance,  the 
makvasari  (of  the  Criicifcrcc).  which  is  also  kept  for 
winter  use  after  having  been  properly  dried.  In  the 
autumn  the  Indians  sometimes  eat  potatoes,  which, 
when  cultivated  at  all,  are  planted  between  the  corn, 
but  grow  no  larger  than  pigeon  eggs.  The  people  eat 
three  kinds  of  fungi,  and  they  have  an  extensive  knowl- 
edge of  the  poisonous  ones.  Salt  and  chile  are  used  as 
relishes. 

A  peculiar  delicacy  is  ari,  the  secretion  of  a  scale 
insect,  carteria  nicxicana.  In  the  months  of  July  and 
August  it  is  gathered  from  the  branches  of  certain  trees 
in  the  barrancas,  rolled  by  hand  into  thick  brown  sticks, 
and  thus  preserved  for  the  winter.  K  small  portion  is 
boiled  in  water  and  eaten  as  a  sauce  with  the  corn  por- 
ridge. Its  taste  is  sweetish  acid,  not  particularly  pleas- 
ant to  the  palate,  but  very  refreshing  in  effect,  and  it  is 
said  to  be  efficacious  in  allaying  fever.  The  Indians 
prize  it  highly,  and  the  Mexicans  also  buv  it. 

Just  a  few  miles  before  reaching  Guachochic,  one 
passes  the  pueblo  of  Tonachic,  from  whence  the  Indians 
have  been  more  or  less  driven  off  by  the  whites.  In  mis- 
sionary times  the  village  appears  to  have  been  of  some 
importance,  to  judge  from  the  church,  which  is  quite 
pretty,  considering  its  location  in  the  middle  of  the  sierra. 


230  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

In  the  sacristy  I  saw  lying  about  tiircc  empty  cases,  but 
tiie  silver  crucifixes  and  chalices  they  once  contained 
had  been  carried  off  by  Mexican  thieves.  The  man  in 
charijc  of  the  building  showed  me  three  immense  draw- 
ers full  of  gold-  and  silver-embroidered  silken  robes  of 
exquisite  fineness  and  great  variety.  There  were  at  least 
several  dozens  of  tiiem. 

The  altar-piece  was  arranged  and  painted  verv  taste- 
fully in  red  and  gold.  Several  oil  paintings  were  hang- 
ing in  the  church,  but  so  darkened  by  the  hand  of  time 
that  it  was  impossible  to  make  out  whether  they  were 
of  anv  artistic  merit.  Wonderful  men  those  early  mis- 
sionaries, who  brought  such  valuables  into  this  wilder- 
ness, over  hundreds  and  thousands  of  miles,  on  the  backs 
of  mules  or  Indians.  It  was  rather  anomalous  to  see  the 
poor,  naked  Indians  outside  the  door,  for  whose  benefit 
all  this  had  been  done.  A  woman  was  sweeping  away 
the  dirt  from  the  swarms  of  bats  that  nested  in  the  ceil- 
ing. 

The  richest  and  most  prominent  man  in  the  village 
enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being  a  great  ladron.  When 
I  called  on  him  I  found  him  in  bed  suffering  from  a 
tooth-ache.  He  had  his  head  wraj)ped  up  and  was  com- 
pletelv  unnerved,  and  many  peo])le  came  to  svmpathise 
with  him  in  his  affliction.  AVhen  I  told  him  that  I 
liked  the  1  "aiahuinares,  he  answered,  "  Well,  take 
them  with  vou,  e\ei\'  one  of  them."  All  he  cared  for 
was  their  land,  and  he  had  alread\-  accpiired  a  consider- 
able portion  of  it.  Ilis  wife  was  the  onlv  person  in  the 
village  who  knew  how  to  recite  the  ])ra\'ers  in  the 
church.  This  made  the  husband  feel  pioud  of  her,  and 
he  evidentlv  considered  her  piet\'  great  enough  to  suffice 
for  the  famil\-. 

On  m\- return  to  Giiaehochic  I  discharged  the  Mexi- 
cans  who  had    been    with  me    since  mv  travels   throuirh 


Taking  m)-  baggage  down  an  Indian  Trail  m  the  Barranca  de  San  Carlos. 


CAKKYIXG    PROVISIONS  233 

Sonora  ;  they  were  here  of  little  use  to  mc,  as  lliey  did 
not  know  the  country.  I  also  disposed  of  the  !2;reater 
number  of  mv  mules,  keeping-  onh'  ahout  half  a  dozen. 

With  the  kind  permission  of  Don  Miguel  I  installed 
most  of  my  bago^age  in  one  of  his  houses,  and  consid- 
ered his  ranch  a  kind  of  headquarters  from  which  I 
made  several  lono;  excursions  in  various  directions. 
Thanks  to  mv  {)ack  and  riding'  mules  I  could  take 
along-,  as  barter,  corn,  glass  beads,  tobacco,  and  cotton 
cloth,  and  bring  back  collections  made  on  the  road.  I 
was  accompanied  by  a  couple  of  Mexicans  from  this 
part  of  the  country  and  some  Indians  who  acted  as  car- 
riers. Of  course,  whenever  I  went  down  into  the  bar- 
rancas, I  had  to  leave  my  mules  and  cargo  in  some  safe 
place  on  the  highlands  and  take  along  only  the  most 
necessary  stores  as  we  proceeded  on  foot.  On  such 
trips  I  had  to  depend  entirely  on  the  natives  ;  they 
secured  the  food,  and  selected  the  cave  or  rock  shelter, 
or  the  tree  under  which  we  slept. 

Our  bill  of  fare  was  made  up  mainly  of  corn  and 
beans,  with  an  occasional  sheep  or  goat,  and  some  herbs 
and  roots  as  relishes.  Corn  was  prepared  in  the  styles 
known  to  the  Indians,  either  as  corn-cakes  (tortillas) 
or,  more  often,  by  simply  toasting  the  grains  on  a  piece 
of  crockery  over  the  fire.  The  dish  is  easy  enough  to 
prepare  and  does  not  taste  at  all  bad,  but  it  is  hard 
work  for  one's  teeth  to  make  a  meal  of  it,  as  the  ker- 
nels assume  the  consistency  of  little  pebbles,  and  many 
months  of  such  a  diet  lengthens  your  dentist's  bill  at 
about  the  same  ratio  as  that  in  which  it  shortens  your  mo- 
lars. Vou  will  ask  why  I  did  not  carrv  provisions  along 
with  me.  Simply  because  preserved  food  is,  as  a  rule, 
heavy  to  carry,  to  say  nothing  of  its  being"  next  to  im- 
possible to  secure  more  when  the  supply  is  exhausted. 
Some   chocolate  and  condensed  milk  which   I   ordered 


234  UNKNOWN   MP:XR() 

from  Chihuahua  did  not  reach  mc  until  seven  months 
after  the  date  of  the  order.  Besides,  the  Indians  are 
not  complaisant  carriers,  least  of  all  in  this  exceedingly 
rough  country. 

For  over  a  vear  I  thus  continued  to  travel  around 
among  the  Tarahumares,  visiting  them  on  their  ranches 
and  in  their  caves,  on  the  highlands  and  in  the  barran- 
cas. There  are  few  valleys  into  which  I  did  not  go  in 
this  central  part  of  the  Tarahumare  countrv,  liiat  is, 
from  the  Barranca  de  Batopilas  and  Carichic  in  the 
north  toward  the  regions  of  the  mining  place  Guada- 
lupe y  Calvo  in  the  south.  By  and  hv  I  also  found  a 
suitable  lenguaraz,  Don  Nabor,  who  lived  a  day's  jour- 
ney from  Guachochic.  He  was  a  tall,  lank,  healthy- 
looking  fellow,  some  fifty  years  old,  very  poor  and 
blessed  with  a  large  familv  of  sons  and  daughters,  some 
of  them  full  grown.  All  his  life  he  had  been  intimate 
with  the  Indians  ;  he  spoke  their  language  as  well  as  he 
did  Spanish,  and  really  liked  the  Tarahumares  better 
than  his  fellow  Mexicans.  Being  a  great  hunter  but  a 
poor  shot  he  brought  home  but  little  game,  and  made 
his  living  chiefly  by  trading  with  the  Indians.  He  was 
the  picture  of  good-nature,  laughing  with  the  Indians  at 
their  jokes,  and  weeping  with  them  at  their  sorrows. 
Among  them  he  passed  as  a  wit,  and  being  very  honest 
was  a  general  favourite.  He  never  took  anxthing  with- 
out asking,  but  was  not  backward  about  that.  Of  his 
teeth  he  had  hardly  any  but  two  of  his  upper  incisors 
left,  which  was  rather  hard  for  a  man  of  his  ravenous 
appetite  ;  but  he  utilised  them  with  such  squirrel-like 
dexterity  as  almost  to  keep  pace  with  others. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

THE  TAKAHUMARE  PHYSIQUE BODILY  MOVEMENTS NOT  AS  SENSI- 
TIVE TO  PAIN  AS  WHITE  MEN THEIR  PHENOMENAL  ENDUR- 
ANCE  HEALTH HONESTY  — DEXTERITY    AND    INGENUITY 

GOOD    OBSERVERS    OF     THE    CELESTIAL     BODIES    AND     WEATHER- 
FORECASTERS HUNTING   AND    SHOOTING HOME    INDUSTRIES 

TESVINO,  THE  GREAT    NATIONAL  DRINK    OF    THE    TRIBE OTHER 

ALCOHOLIC    DRINKS. 

THE  Tarahumare  of  to-day  is  of  medium  size  and 
more  muscular  than  his  North  x'\merican  cousin, 
but  his  cheek-bones  are  equally  prominent.  His  colour 
is  light  chocolate-brown.  I  was  rather  surprised  often 
to  find  the  faces  of  the  people  living  in  the  warm  bar- 
rancas of  a  lighter  colour  than  the  rest  of  their  bodies. 
The  darkest  complexions,  strange  to  say,  I  encountered 
on  the  highlands  near  Guachochic.  In  the  higher  al- 
titudes the  people  also  develop  higher  statures  and 
are  more  muscular  than  in  the  lower  portions  of  the 
country. 

Both  men  and  women  wear  long,  flowing,  straight 
black  hair,  which  in  rare  cases  is  a  little  wavy.  When 
a  woman  marries,  I  am  told,  she  cuts  her  hair  once. 
When  the  hair  is  cut  because  it  has  grown  too  long  and 
troublesome,  they  place  it  under  a  stone  or  hang  it  in 
a  tree.  A  shaman  once  cut  his  hair  short  to  get  new 
thoughts  with  the  new  hair,  and  while  it  was  orrowine  he 
kej)t  his  head  tied  up  in  a  piece  of  cotton  cloth  to  keep 
his  thoughts  from  escaping.  When  the  people  are  very 
old,  the  hair  turns  gray  ;  but  they  never  grow  bald. 
Beards  are  rare,  and  if  they  appear  the  Indians  pull  them 

235 


236 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


yv^ 


out.  Their  devil  is  alwavs  represented  with  a  beard, 
and  thev  eall  the  Alexieans  derisively  sliahotshi,  "the 
bearded  ones."     Much  as  they  enjoy  tobacco,  an  Indian 

would  not  accept 
some  from  me, 
because  he  feared 
that  coming  from 
a  white  man  it 
would  cause  a 
beard  to  grow  on 
his  face. 

There  are  more 
women  in  the  tribe 
than  men.  They 
are  smaller,  but 
generally  just  as 
strong  as  the  other 
sex,  and  when  an- 
gered, for  instance 
by  jealousy,  the 
wife  may  be  able  to 
beat  her  husband. 
Hands  and  feet  are 
small.  Manv  of 
the  women  have 
surprisingly  small  and  well-shaped  bones,  while  the  men 
are  more  powerfully  built.  The  coiner  teeth  differ  from 
the  front  teeth  in  that  they  are  thicker,  and,  in  sj)ite  of 
exceptionally  fine  teeth,  tooth-ache  is  not  unknown  in 
the  tribe.  Men,  even  those  who  are  well  nourished,  are 
never  stout.  The  women  are  more  inclined  to  corpu- 
lency. 

Eight  people  with  hair-lip,  seven  hunchbacks,  six 
men  and  four  women  with  six  toes  to  their  feet,  and  one 
or  two  cases  of  s(juint-eyes  came  under  my  notice.     One 


l^arahumare  Woman. 


TARAHUMARE    PHYSIQUE 


237 


boy  had  a  club-foot  with  toes  turned  inside,  and  I  saw 
one  man  who  had  only  stumps  of  arms  with  two  or  three 
finger-marks  on  each.  I  have  observed  one  case  of  in- 
sanity among  these  Indians. 

Pediculi  (lice)  from  the  heads  and  clothino;  of  the 


Tarahumare  Man. 


Side  View. 


Tarahumare  are  blackish  in  colour,  but  the  claw  is  not 
different  from  that  of  the  w^hite  men's  parasites. 

When  at  ease,  the  Tarahumare  stands  on  both  legs, 
without  stiffness.  In  micturition  he  stands,  while  the 
Tepehuane  sits  down.    The  body  is  well  balanced.    The 


238  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

gait  is  energetic.  He  swings  his  arm  and  plants  his 
foot  firmlv,  with  the  toes  generallv  in,  ^Hding  along 
smoothly  with  cjuick  steps  and  without  swaying  to  and 
fro,  the  body  bent  slightly  forward.  The  palm  of  the 
hand  is  turned  to  the  rear.     Tarahumares  climb  trees  by 

embracing  the  tree 
as  we  do  ;  but  the 
ascent  is  made  in 
jumps,  the  legs  ac- 
cordingly not  em- 
bracing the  tree  as 
much  as  is  the  case 
with  us.  In  swim- 
ming they  throw 
their  arms  ahead 
from  one  side  to 
another.  They 
point  with  the  open 
hand  or  by  protruding  the  lips  and  raising  the  head  at 
the  same  time  in  the  desired  direction.  Like  the  Mex- 
icans they  beckon  with  their  hands  by  making  down- 
ward mov^ements  with  their  lingers. 

To  the  casual  observer  the  native  appears  dull  and 
heavy,  so  much  so  that  at  first  it  would  seem  hopeless  to 
get  any  intelligent  information  out  of  him  ;  but  on  better 
acquaintance  it  will  be  found  that  their  faces,  like  those 
of  Mexican  Indians  in  general,  have  more  variety  of 
feature  and  exj)ression  than  those  of  the  whites.  At  the 
same  time  it  is  true  that  the  individual  does  not  show 
his  emotion  very  perceptibly  in  his  face.  One  has  to 
look  into  his  eyes  for  an  ex])ression  of  what  passes  in  his 
mind,  as  his  face  is  not  mobile  ;  nor  does  he  betray  his 
feelings  by  involuntary  actions.  If  he  blushes,  as  he 
sometimes  does,  the  colour  exti-nds  down  the  neck  and  is 
visible  in  spite  (jf  his  dusk\'  skin.      Laughter  is  never  im- 


Usual  Crouching  Position  ot  the  Tarahumare. 


INDIAN    ENDURANCE 


239 


moderate  cnoiioh  to  brini!,  tears  to  the  eyes.  The  head 
is  nodded  vertieally  in  aflirniation  and  shaken  laterally 
in  negation  only  by  the  eivilised  Tarahumares. 

There   is  a  slight  though  undefinable    odour  about 
the  Tarahumare.      He  is  not  aware  of  it ;  yet  he  will  tell 


Front  View. 


Side  View. 


Tarah 


aranumare  Man. 


Mi 


you  that  the  Mexican  smells  like  a  pig,  and  the  Ameri- 
can like  cofifee,  both  offensive  odours  to  Tarahumares. 
They  all  love  to  feel  warm,  and  may  often  be  seen  lying 
in  the  sun  on  their  backs  or  stomachs.  Heat  never 
seems  to  trouble  them.  Young  babies  sleep  on  their 
mothers'  backs  without  any  covering  on  their  heads  to 
protect  them  from  the  fierce  rays  of  the  summer  sun. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  Tarahumare  endures  cold  un- 
flinchingly. On  an  icy  winter  morning,  when  there  are 
six  inches  of  snow  on  the  ground,  many  a  man  may  be 
seen  with  nothing  on  but  his  blanket  fastened  around 
his  waist,  pursuing  rabbits. 

While  their  senses  are  keen,  I  do  not  consider  them 
superior  to  those  of  anv  well-endowed  white  man.  To 
test  eyesight,  Sir  Francis  Galton  directs  us  to  cut  out  a 


240 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


Tarahumares  Sunning  Themselves. 
In  the  foreground  is  seen  an  implement 
for  carrving  burdens  on  the  back. 


square   piece   of   whiti'   pajx'i-   one  and  a   half  inches    a 
side,  paste  it  on  a  large  piece  of  hlack  paper,  and  mark 

how  far  a  person  can  dis- 
tinguish whether  tlie 
square  is  held  straight  or 
diagonally.  None  of  the 
Indians  could  distinguish 
the  different  positions  un- 
til they  were  within  seven 
hundred  and  ten  feet.  On 
another  occasion,  however, 
when  I  tested  six  individ- 
uals, four  men  could  tell 
the  {position  of  the  square 
at  a  distance  of  nine  hun- 
dred and  live  feet.  One  of  these  had  syphilis.  They 
certainly  do  not  feel  pain  in  the  same  degree  as  we 
do.  On  this  point  any  collector  of  hair  could  have 
reason  to  satisfy  himself.  Scientists  consider  the  hair 
a  particularlv  distinguishing  feature  among  the  races  of 
men,  not  onl\'  in  regard  to  its  colour,  but  also  as  to  its 
texture.  In  fact,  the  human  race  is  b}'  some  classified 
accordinor  to  the  character  of  the  hair  of  the  head. 
Compared  under  the  microsco|)e  a  section  of  the  hair  of 
a  Chinaman  or  an  American  Indian  is  found  to  be  cir- 
cular, that  of  a  Kur()})ean  oval  in  shape.  As  a  rule,  the 
flatter  the  hair  the  more  readily  it  curls,  the  perfectly 
cylindrical  hair  hanging  down  stiff  and  straight.  A  sec- 
tion of  the  straight  hair  of  a  Japanese,  for  instance,  forms 
a  perfect  circle.  So  much  importance  being  attached 
to  the  structure  of  the  hair,  I  made  a  collection  from 
different  individuals.  Hiev  were  willing  enough  to  let 
me  have  all  the  sam|)lcs  1  wanted  for  a  material  consid- 
eration, of  course,  but  tin-  indifferent  manner  in  which 
they  pulled  the   haii    from  their  heads,  just  as  we  should 


TARAHIMARE   STRENGTH  241 

tear  out  hairs  from  the  tail  of  a  horse,  convinced  nie 
that  inferior  races  feel  pain  to  a  less  extent  than  civil- 
ised man.  I  once  j)ulled  six  hairs  at  a  time  from  the 
head  of  a  sleeping  child  without  disturbing  it  at  all  ;  I 
asked  for  more,  and  when  twenty-three  hairs  were  pulled 
out  in  one  stroke,  the  child  only  scratched  its  head  a 
little  and  slept  on. 

They  are  not  so  powerful  at  lifting  as  they  are  in 
carrying  burdens.  Out  of  twelve  natives,  ten  of  whom 
were  eighteen  and  twenty  years  old,  while  two  owned 
to  fifty  years,  five  lifted  a  burden  weighing  2  26f  pounds 
(102  kilograms).  I  was  able  to  lift  this  myself.  The 
same  five  lifted  2  88f  pounds  (130  kilograms),  as  also  did 
two  strong  Mexicans  present,  aged  respectively  eighteen 
and  thirty  years.  In  order  to  test  their  carrying  capac- 
ity, I  had  them  walk  for  a  distance  of  500  feet  on  a 
pretty  even  track.  One  very  poor  and  starved-looking 
Tarahumare  carried  2  26|-  pounds  (102  kilograms)  on 
his  back,  though  tottering  along  with  some  difficulty  ; 
two  others  carried  it  with  ease,  and  might  have  taken 
it  farther.     All  three  were  young  men. 

Their  endurance  is  truly  phenomenal,  A  strong 
young  man  carried  a  burden  of  over  100  pounds  from 
Carichic  to  Batopilas,  a  distance  of  about  no  miles,  in 
seventy  hours.  While  travelling  with  such  burdens  they 
eat  nothing  but  pinole,  a  little  at  frequent  intervals. 

The  wonderful  health  these  people  enjoy  is  really 
their  most  attractive  trait.  They  are  healthy  and  look  it. 
It  could  hardly  be  otherwise  in  this  delightful  mountain 
air,  laden  with  the  invigorating  odour  of  the  pines  com- 
bined with  the  electrifying  effect  of  being  close  to  nat- 
ure's heart.  In  the  highlands,  where  the  people  live 
longer  than  in  the  barrancas,  it  is  not  infrequent  to 
meet  persons  who  are  at  least  a  hundred  years  old. 
Long  life  is  what  they  all  pray  for. 

Vol.  I. — 16 


24^ 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


They  suffer  sometimes  from  liuuinatism,  but  the 
most  common  disease  is  pleuiis\-  ((/o/or  dc  costado), 
which  oenerallv  proves  fatal.  SyphiHs  rages  in  some 
parts  of  the  country.  There  was  at  the  time  of  my 
visit  to  Pino  Gordo  hardly  a  native  there  who  had  not, 
at  one  time  or  another,  been  afflicted  with  it  ;  but  the 
victims  get  quickly  over  it  witiiout  special  treatment, 
sometimes  within  a  vear.      Children  of  svj)hilitic  parents 


Half  Side  View,  I'runt  View.  Side  View. 

Tarahumare  Girl.      The  Hair  Worn  in  Mexican  Fashion. 

show  tlie  symptoms  soon  aftiT  birth.  Small-j)ox,  too, 
plays  havoc  among  the  poi)ulation.  I  have  seen  some 
people  suffering  with  cataract  in  the  eyes,  and  some 
foot-runners  complained  that  their  sight  sometimes  be- 
came impaired  during  or  after  a  race.  The  Taralui- 
mares  have  not  any  cases  of  tai)c-\vorm,  although  their 
sheep  have  it ;  probably  the  large  quantities  of  tesvino 
drunk  during  the  winter  may  have  something  to  do  with 
this. 

Medicine  takes  remarkablv  strong  hold  of  the  Ind- 
ians. One  man  suffered  foi  two  weeks  from  fever  and 
ague,  lost  his  appetite,  and  seemed  a  general  wreck  ; 
but  after  a  two-grain  (|uinine  pill  became  at  once  him- 
self again,  and   a  few   (la\s  later  was  able  to  take  a  mes- 


SUICIDE  243 

sage  for  me  to  a  place  forty  miles  off  and  return  the 
same  day. 

The  natives  do  not  bathe  except  in  the  wet  season. 
When  they  go  to  feasts,  they  wash  their  hands  and  faces, 
and  the  women  comb  their  hair.  Sometimes  they  may 
wash  their  feet,  but  more  frequently  they  clean  their 
heads.  In  fact,  the  regular  way  of  taking  a  bath  is  to 
wash  the  head.  For  this  purpose  they  use  an  agave 
called  soke.  Occasionally  they  use  a  white  earth  from 
Cusarare,  called  javoncillo  ;  it  is  very  soft  and  it  is  also 
used  as  white  colour  in  decorating  pottery.  When  the 
men  go  into  deep  water  to  bathe  they  smear  fat  all  over 
their  bodies  to  guard  against  all  kinds  of  bad  animals  in 
the  water  ;  w^omen  do  not  usually  take  this  precaution. 

A  Tarahumare  does  not  commit  homicide  unless  he 
is  drunk.  There  are  only  isolated  exceptions.  ^  jefe 
politico  (prefect)  told  me  that  in  forty  years  he  had  heard 
of  only  two  murders.  In  both  of  these  cases  a  drunken 
husband  had  killed  his  wife  at  a  feast,  and  knew  nothing 
of  the  crime  after  he  became  sober.  I  have  been  told 
that  in  some  rare  instances  a  Tarahumare  woman  will  sit 
on  her  child  right  after  its  birth  to  crush  it,  in  order  to 
save  herself  the  trouble  of  bringing  it  up.  The  Tepe- 
huanes  are  reputed  to  do  the  same  thing,  and  for  the 
same  purpose.  Still  with  both  tribes  crimes  of  this  kind 
are  exceedingly  rare. 

Suicide  is  never  committed  unless  a  person  is  drunk 
and  angered  by  some  slight  or  by  jealousy.  At  one 
time  there  was  a  veritable  epidemic  of  suicides  among  the 
Indians  near  Guachochic,  the  men  hanging  themselves 
with  their  girdles  ;  one  of  them  even  suspended  himself 
by  the  feet.  But  it  is  doubtful  whether  a  pagan  Tara- 
humare ever  killed  himself. 

As  a  rule,  the  Tarahumare  is  not  a  thief.  Only 
when  he  thinks  himself  entirely  unobserved,  he  may  ap- 


244  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

propriate  some  trilic  that  particularly  strikes  his  fancy, 
but  the  indications  are  that  lie  learned  the  art  from  the 
Mexicans.  Once  on  our  travels  we  passed  a  man  who 
was  weeding;  his  field.  \Ve  tried  to  induce  him  to  ^ive 
us  some  information,  but  he  was  too  busy  to  talk,  and 
we  went  on.  Soon  he  noticed  that  we  had  accidentally 
dropped  our  laro:e  axe,  and  immediately  he  interrupted 
his  j)ressing  work  and  came  running  after  us  with  it.  I 
wanted  to  compensate  him  for  the  trouble  he  had  put 
himself  to,  but  he  would  not  accept  the  money  I  offered, 
saying  that  he  had  not  had  to  go  far,  and,  anyway,  he 
did  not  bring  the  axe  to  get  payment  for  it. 

As  lonor  as  he  is  in  his  native  state,  a  Tarahumare 
never  cheats  at  bargains.  He  does  not  like  to  sell  any- 
thing that  is  in  any  way  defective.  He  always  draws  at- 
tention to  the  flaw,  and  if  a  jar  has  any  imperfection,  it 
requires  much  persuasion  to  make  him  part  with  it.  He 
shows  honestv  also  in  other  ways.  Often  I  trusted  Ind- 
ians with  a  silver  dollar  or  two  for  corn  to  be  delivered 
a  few  days  later,  and  never  was  I  disappointed  by  them. 
On  the  other  hand,  they  are  chary  of  selling  anything 
to  a  stranger.  When  a  Mexican  wants  to  buy  a  sheep, 
or  some  corn,  or  a  girdle,  the  Tarahumare  will  first 
deny  that  he  has  anything  to  sell.  What  little  he  has 
he  likes  to  keep  for  himself,  and  he  considers  it  a  fa- 
vour to  part  with  any  of  his  l)eK)ngings  for  money.  A 
purchase,  however,  establishes  a  kind  of  brotherhood 
between  the  two  negotiants,  who  afterward  call  each 
other  "  naragua,"  and  a  confidence  is  established  between 
them  almost  of  the  same  character  as  that  which  exists 
between  compadres  among  the  Mexicans. 

From  outsiders  they  accept  silver  coins,  but  not  paper 
monev,  because  they  have  been  cheated  with  wrappers 
from  cigarette  boxes,  and  besides,  they  have  no  means 
of  keeping  such  monev  safe  and  sound  from  mice,  moist- 


MENTAL   Ol  ALITIES  245 

lire,  etc.  Amon<r  tliemselves  a  little  trading-  goes  on, 
the  highlands  obtaining  from  the  barrancas  in  the  west 
copal,  chile,  ari,  ear  ornaments  made  from  shells,  and 
goats,  in  exchange  for  corn  and  beans.  The  Indians 
from  Nararachic  go  to  Rio  Concho  for  the  shells  from 
which  they  make  their  ear  pendants.  The  powder  pro- 
duced in  working  the  shells  is  saved  and  mixed  with  salt 
to  be  used  as  a  remedy  for  eye  troubles. 

The  tribe  has  undeniably  a  certain  gift  for  mechan- 
ics. The  people  are  deft  with  their  fingers  and  do 
everything  neatly.  This  shows  itself  in  their  ingeniously 
constructed  wooden  locks  and  in  the  niceness  with  which 
they  stuff  animals.  They  are  also  ver\'  clever  in  follow- 
ing tracks,  and  even  recognise  the  hoof-prints  of  partic- 
ular horses  among  others  in  the  same  trail.  They  will 
also  tell  you  that  a  tired  deer  keeps  its  toes  more  closely 
together  than  an  animal  just  aroused  from  its  lair.  And 
never  do  they  lose  their  way  in  the  forest,  not  even 
when  drunk.  They  love  to  sit  among  their  corn  plants, 
and  will  hide  among  them  wiien  strangers  approach. 

The  Tarahumares  are  inquisitive,  and  will  stand  for 
a  long  time  looking  at  you  from  a  distance,  if  anything 
unusual  attracts  their  attention.  Thev  are  very  critical 
and  there  is  much  gossip  going  on  among  them.  They 
also  laugh  at  the  Mexicans,  and  say  that  the  hair  on 
their  faces  is  like  the  fur  on  a  bear.  Squint-eves  also 
afford  them  much  amusement.  They  are  smart,  atten- 
tive and  patient.  Thev  have  no  qualms  of  conscience 
about  telling  an  untruth,  but  my  experience  with  them 
shows  appreciation  and  gratitude  for  benefits  received. 
An  Indian  whom  I  had  occasion  to  treat  to  a  good 
meal,  many  months  afterward  at  a  feast  came  up  and 
said  to  me,  *'  You  were  good  to  me  when  I  was  very 
hungry,"  and  he  proved  his  thankfulness  by  assisting 
me  in  various  wavs  in  establishinir  friendlv  relations  with 


i 


246  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

his  people,  whicli  otherwise  would   liave  been  very  diffi- 
cult to  bring  about. 

Children  are  l)riLiht,  and  wlien  sent  to  sehool  learn 
Si)anish  quiekly.  They  also  master  reading-  and  writing 
without  difficulty.  They  are  diligent,  eager  to  learn, 
and  very  religious,  docile,  and  easily  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity. 

There  is  a  story  about  a  j)adre  who  asked  a  Tarahu- 
mare  boy,  "What  is  God  doing  in  Heaven?"  The 
boy  said,  "The  same  as  the  macaw  does  in  the  tree." 
The  padre  asked,  "  What  does  the  macaw  do  in  the 
tree  ?  "  and  the  bov  replied,  "  He  eats  the  good  seeds 
and  lets  the  bad  ones  drop."  A  Mexican  asked  me  if 
God  was  going  to  walk  on  earth  again,  and  mv  Tarahu- 
mare  attendant  remarked,  "  No,  he  is  now  afraid  to 
come,  because  people  have  too  many  ritles." 

When  they  learn  something  their  ambition  runs  high, 
and  the  boys  always  want  to  become  generals  and  presi- 
dents of  the  republic. 

The  Tarahumares  are  careful  observers  of  the  celes- 
tial l)odies,  and  know  the  Pleiades,  the  Belt  of  Orion, 
and  the  Morning  and  the  Evening  Star.  The  Great  Dip- 
per is  of  no  special  interest  to  them.  Near  Guachochic 
the  Tarahumares  plant  corn  in  accordance  with  the  posi- 
tions of  the  stars  with  reference  to  the  sun.  They  say 
if  the  sun  and  the  stars  are  not  equal  the  year  will  be 
bad;  but  wdien  the  stars  last  long  the  \ear  will  be  good. 
In  1891,  the  sun  "travelled  slowly,"  and  the  stars  "trav- 
elled quickly,"  and  in  June  they  had  already  "disap- 
peared," Therefore  the  Tarahumares  })redicted  that 
their  crops  would  be  below  the  average,  which  came 
true.  On  June  ;'^(.\  1  asked  an  Indian  how  much  longer 
the  sun  would  travel  on,  and  he  told  me  that  it  ought 
not  to  be  more  than  fifteen  days.  The  Tarahumares 
are    reputed  to  be  good   weather  prophets   among   the 


HUNTING   AND   SHOOTING  247 

Mexicans,  who  fiecjuently  consult  them  upon  the  pros- 
pects of  rain.  The  Indians  judge  from  the  colour  of  the 
sun  when  he  rises  as  to  whether  there  will  be  rain  that 
day.  If  the  crescent  of  the  moon  is  lying  horizontally^ 
it  is  carrying  much  water  ;  but  when  it  stands  up  straight, 
it  brings  nothing.  This  belief  is  shared  by  the  Mexicans. 
When  the  moon  is  full  and  has  "a  ring  around,"  she  is 
dancing  on  her  patio.  At  the  period  of  the  dark  moon 
she  is  dead,  but  will  return  after  three  days.  Eclipses 
are  explained  as  collisions  between  the  sun  and  the  moon 
on  the  road,  when  they  fight. 

The  Tarahumare  men  make  bows  and  arrows,  and  in 
the  central  part  of  the  country  are  great  hunters  and 
clever  at  shooting.  The  fore-shaft  of  their  arrows  is 
made  of  palo  hediondo,  a  wood  used  also  in  the 
making  of  needles.  But  the  people  living  near  the 
pueblo  of  Panalachic  and  the  Barranca  de  Cobre  are 
poor  shots,  and  their  favourite  weapon  is  the  axe.  The 
boys  still  play  with  slings,  which  not  so  long  ago  were 
used  for  killing  squirrels.  A  club  with  a  stone  (Span- 
ish, inacand)  is  said  to  have  been  formerly  in  common 
use.  The  grandfathers  of  the  present  generation  of 
Nararachic  had  flint-tipped  arrows.  The  Indians  also 
know  how  to  prepare  excellent  buckskin.  They  peg 
the  hide  on  the  ground  and  leave  it  for  three  days,  and 
when  it  is  sufficiently  dry  the  hair  is  scraped  off  with  a 
knife.  It  is  then  smeared  over  with  the  brain  of  the 
animal  and  hung  up  in  the  sun  for  four  days.  The  next 
step  is  to  wash  it  well  in  warm  water  in  a  wooden 
trough.  Then  it  is  well  kneaded,  and  two  people  tak- 
ing hold  of  it  draw  it  out  of  the  water  and  stretch  it 
well  between  them.  It  is  dried  again  and  is  then 
tanned  with  the  crushed  bark  of  the  biij-leaved  oak-tree. 
A  natural  cavity  in  a  rock  is  chosen  for  a  vat,  in  which 
the  skin  is  left  for  two  days.     After  this  it  is  well  rinsed 


248  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

and  s(jueczcd  until  no  water  remains  in  it.  Two  per- 
sons are  required  for  the  operation,  which  is  always  per- 
formed in  a  place  on  which  the  sun  beats  strongly,  while 
at  the  same  time  it  is  sheltered  from  the  wind  hy  sur- 
rounding rocks. 

Deer  are  cau":ht  in  snares  fastened  to  a  bent  tree,  so 
that  the  animal's  foot  is  held,  while  the  tree  when  re- 
leased hoists  the  quarry  up.  The  Indians  also  chase 
deer  with  dogs  toward  some  narrow  passage  in  the 
track  where  they  have  placed  sharp-pointed  pine  sticks, 
two  feet  long,  against  which  the  deer  runs  and  hurts 
itself.  Blackbirds  are  decoyed  by  kernels  of  corn 
threaded  on  a  snare  of  pita  fibre  hidden  under  the 
ground.  The  bird  swallows  the  kernel,  which  becomes 
entangled  in  its  oesophagus  and  is  caught.  Small 
birds  are  also  shot  with  bow  and  arrows,  or  killed  with 
stones. 

The  Tarahumare  is  ingenious  in  devising  many 
kinds  of  traps  for  birds  and  animals.  Into  the  burrow 
of  the  gopher  he  places  a  small  upright  frame  cut  from 
a  piece  of  bark.  Tiiere  is  a  groove  inside  of  the  frame, 
and  in  this  the  snare  runs  ;  and  a  string  is  attached  to  a 
bough  above  ground.  Another  string,  on  which  some 
grains  of  corn  are  threaded,  keeps  the  snare  set  and 
obstructs  the  gopher's  passage  through  the  frame. 
When  trying  to  get  at  the  kernels  the  gopher  cuts  the 
strinof,  the  snare  is  released,  and  he  is  cau<2,"ht  in  his  own 
burrow. 

Squirrels  are  hunted  in  the  most  primitive  way — by 
cutting  down  the  tree  on  which  an  animal  is  discovered. 
Sometimes  it  will  escape  when  the  tree  falls,  and  then 
the  man  has  to  cut  down  another  tree,  and  thus  he  may 
go  on  felling  as  many  as  ten  trees  before  lie  can  bag  his 
game,  not  a  very  substantial  reward  for  a  whole  day's 
work. 


HOME    INDl  STRIES 


249 


The  women  make  girdles  ami  i)lankets  on  primitive 
looms,  insertino-  characteristie    designs   in  llie   wcavinof. 

'  r^  i~>  C) 


Weaving  a  Girdle. 

It  takes  four  days  of  constant  work  to  make  a  girdle, 
but  no  woman  weaves  more  than  one  blanket  in  a  year, 


Patterns  ot  Tarahumare  Belts. 

and  it    is    almost    an    event  when    it  is    finished.     The 
weaving  frame  consists  simply  of  four  sticks — placed  on 


2s-0 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


the  oriound  tied  too-ethcr  in  a  rectanuie  ur  trianjjle,  and 
pieces  of  reed  on  which  the  thread  is  wound,  one  for 
each  colour,  are  used  as  shuttles.  Textiles  from  Pama- 
chic  are  especially  highly  valued.  The  blankets  from 
that  locality  are  sold  all  over  the  Tarahumare  countrv  and 
are  the  finest  made  hv  the  tribe. 

The  Tarahumares  are  not  far  advanced   in  the  art  of 
making  potterv.      'I  heir  work  is  crude  and  not  very  sub- 


Woman  Pottery  Maker  and  Some  Results  of  Her  Labour. 

stantial.  The  industry  is  practised  onl\-  1)\'  the  women, 
and  the  degree  of  ability  varies  considerable  The  art 
is  often  hereditary.  The  nicest  potterv  T  found  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  l^analachic,  where  it  is  decorated  with 
certain  designs  in  red  and  white.  Our  woman  in  a 
western  barranca  cultixatcd  a  spteialtx  of  makine  larsfe 
jars  for  holding  tesvino.  The  laigesl  jar  shown  in  the 
illustration  was  nearh'  eight  feet  in  circumference. 

Women   when    making    jiottery  taste   a   little  of   the 
clay    before   commeneiiig  work,  ascertaining  whether   it 


TAR AHL MARE   POITERY  251 

is  the  rio;ht  kind  or  not.  Some  of  the  clay  is  acid  and 
not  good.  The  clay  which  is  serviceable  is  a  little 
sweet  and  of  a  pale  yellow  colour.  The  clay  is  dried 
and  ground,  and  then  mixed  with  ground  pieces  of  old 
pottery  instead  of  sand.  To  make  a  piece  of  pottery,  a 
lump  of  clay  is  hollowed  out  in  the  shape  of  a  cup,  and 
on  this  foundation  the  jar  is  built  up,  thin  layers  of  clay 
being  placed  on  successively,  and  smoothed  carefully 
over  with  wet  hands,  making  the  walls  thinner  and 
thinner.  The  vessel  is  built  up  standing  on  a  bowl 
filled  with  ashes  and  covered  with  a  piece  of  cotton 
cloth. 

I  saw  a  clever  woman  make  a  medium-sized  jar  in 
twenty-seven  minutes.  She  was  seated  in  the  sun,  and 
finished  four  vessels  in  one  afternoon.  Then,  assisted  by 
her  husband,  she  began  to  even  them  on  the  outside 
with  a  small,  smooth,  oblong  piece  of  a  gourd.  The 
vessels  were  then  put  into  the  house  in  order  that  they 
might  not  dry  too  quickly.  After  an  interval  of  fifteen 
minutes,  during  which  she  nursed  her  infant,  which  had 
been  bothering  her  all  the  while,  she  began  work  again. 
First,  with  the  edge  of  a  sharpened  stick  she  removed 
all  irregularities  on  the  outside  and  on  the  brim,  and 
then  with  a  stone  she  polished  the  vessel.  To  polish 
the  jars  seemed  to  take  the  longest  time,  for  each  of  the 
workers  was  engaged  on  a  vessel  for  over  an  hour, 
and  even  then  had  not  completed  the  task.  They  pol- 
ished outside  and  a  little  way  inside  below  the  brim. 
Finally  they  painted  decorations  with  ochre,  and  pol- 
ished again  for  a  long  time,  but  only  the  outside.  Now 
the  jars  were  again  ])ut  into  the  house  to  dry  a  little  more 
before  the  polishing  was  finished. 

To  burn  the  jars,  they  must  first  be  thoroughly 
dried,  as  otherwise  the  fire  would  crack  them.  When 
the  weather  is  nice  the   fire   mav  be  made  outside  the 


Tarahumare  Pottery  from  Panalachic.        Decorations  in  red  ochre  and  white 

jaz'oiiiillo. 


THE   MAKING   OF   TESVINO  253 

house  ;  but  usually  it  is  built  inside  on  the  ordinary  fire- 
plaee.  Eaeh  vessel,  one  at  a  time,  is  turned  upside  down 
over  ehareoal,  and  pieees  of  pine  bark  are  built  uj)  all 
around  and  over  it  like  a  S(|uare  little  hut,  then  ignited. 
Care  is  taken  that  no  pieee  of  bark  comes  so  near  to 
the  jar  as  to  toueh  and  injure  it.  Where  bark  cannot 
be  readily  procured,  wood  is  used.  The  heat  first  turns 
the  clay  dark,  and  afterward  a  pretty  yellow  colour. 

There  is  one  industry  which  has  a  peculiar  bearing 
on  the  whole  bfe  of  the  Tarahumare,  namely,  the  mak- 
ing of  native  beer. 

Nothing  is  so  close  to  the  heart  of  the  Tarahumare 
as  this  licjuor,  called  in  Mexican  Spanish  tesvino.  It 
looks  like  milky  water,  and  has  quite  an  agreeable  taste, 
reminding  one  of  kumyss.  To  make  it,  the  moist  corn 
is  allowed  to  sprout ;  then  it  is  boiled  and  ground,  and 
the  seed  of  a  grass  resembling  wheat  is  added  as  a  fer- 
ment. The  liquor  is  poured  into  large  earthen  jars  made 
solely  for  the  purpose,  and  it  should  now  stand  for  at 
least  twenty-four  hours  ;  but  inasmuch  as  the  jars  are 
only  poorly  made,  they  are  not  able  to  hold  it  very  long, 
and  the  people  take  this  responsibility  on  themselves.  A 
row  of  beer  jars  turned  upside  down  in  front  of  a  house 
is  a  characteristic  sight  in  the  Tarahumare  region. 

The  tesvino  forms  an  integral  part  of  the  Tarahu-  x 
mare  religion.  It  is  used  at  all  its  celebrations,  dances, 
and  ceremonies.  It  is  given  with  the  mother's  milk 
to  the  infant  to  keep  it  from  sickness.  In  "curing" 
the  new-born  babe  the  shaman  sprinkles  some  over  it 
to  make  it  strong.  Beer  is  applied  internally  and  exter- 
nally as  a  remedy  for  all  diseases  Tarahumare  flesh  is 
heir  to.  No  man  could  get  his  field  attended  to  if  he 
did  not  at  first  make  ready  a  good  supply  of  tesvino,  be- 
cause beer  is  the  only  remuneration  his  assistants  re- 
ceive.     Drinkinc:  tesvino  at  the  feast  marks  the  turning- 


254 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


point  in  a  person's  life.  A  \)()y  begins  to  drink  tesvino 
because  now  he  feels  binisclf  a  man  ;  and  when  a  girl  is 
seen  at  feasts,  it  is  a  sign  tiiat  she  is  looking  for  a  hus- 
band. No  marriage  is  legitimate  without  a  liberal  con- 
sumption of  tesvino  by  all  })arties  present  at  the  wedding. 
Hunting  and   fishing  ex})editions   are   accompanied   by 

beer-drinking  to  insure  luck. 
No  matter  how  manv  times 
the  Tarahumare  changes  his 
abode  in  the  course  of  his  life, 
he  always  makes  tesvino  when 
moving  into  a  new  house  or 
cave.  Even  the 
dead  would  not  get 
any  rest,  but  come 
back  and  harm  the 
surxivors,  if  a  (|uan- 
tity  of  tesvino  were 
not  set  aside  for 
them.  In  fact, 
there  is  absolutely 
no  act  of  import- 
ance that  is  not,  in 
one  way  or  anotii- 
er,  connected  witii 
the  drinking  of  this 
beer.  Never  is  a  jar  commenced  unless  some  of  the 
lifjuor  is  sacrificed  before  the  cross,  for  the  gods  are  be- 
lieved to  be  as  fond  of  the  beer  as  are  mortals.  Rain 
cannot  be  obtained  without  tesvino  ;  tesvino  cannot  be 
made  without  corn;  and  corn  cannot  grow  without  rain. 
/  This,  in  a  nutshell,  is  the  Tarahumare's  view  of  life. 

There  are  many  occasions  during  the  year,  espe- 
cially during  tiie  winter  time,  when  regular  symposiums 
are  held,  generaliv  inside  of  the  iiouse  ;  but  the  people 


Basket  for  Straining  Tesvino.      Height,  exclu- 
sive of  handle,   14  ctm. 


A   SYMPOSIUM  255 

never  drink  tesvino  unless  lliere  is  some  purpose  to  be 
attained,  he  il  luek  in  some  undertaking,  or  good  crops, 
or  the  health  of  the  family,- or  some  similar  benefit. 
They  may  dance  yiimari  for  a  little  while  at  any  of  these 
functions. 

It  is  the  custom  to  appoint  one  man  to  distribute 
the  licjuor  among  the  guests.  In  doing  this  the  host 
offers  to  the  chosen  one  three  drinking-gourds  full  of 
tesvino,  which  the  latter  empties,  and  he  enters  upon  his 
duty  by  giving  to  every  man  present  three  gourds  in 
succession  and  to  every  woman  four.  The  guests,  al- 
though from  politeness  hesitating  between  each  gourd- 
ful,  are  only  too  delighted  to  comply  with  this  inviola- 
ble rule,  which  speaks  eloquently  for  their  constitutions. 

The  seat  beside  the  distributer  is  the  most  coveted. 
I,  too,  was  always  glad  to  get  it,  because  it  gave  me  the 
best  chance  to  observe  the  behaviour  of  the  Indians  at 
the  feasts.  The  dispenser  estal)lislfes  himself  close  to 
the  big  jar,  and  being  immensely  popular  with  every- 
body he  is  never  left  alone.  The  geniality  of  the  Tara- 
humares,  their  courteousness  and  politeness  toward 
each  other  in  the  beginning  of  a  feast,  is,  to  say  the 
least,  equal  to  that  of  many  a  civilised  gentleman. 
When  the  cup  is  offered  to  anyone,  he  most  urgently 
protests  and  insists  that  the  distributer  shall  drink  ; 
often  this  remonstrance  is  heeded,  but  the  gourd  is 
never  emptied  ;  something  is  always  left  in  it,  and  this 
the  guest  has  to  take,  and  a  second  gourdful  is  imme- 
diately held  out  to  him.  Though  he  again  refuses,  he 
generally  allows  himself  to  be  persuaded  to  drink  it, 
and  this  mock  refusing  and  urcrino;  s^oes  on  as  lono-  as 
they  have  their  wits  together. 

To  my  knowledge,  this  beer  is  not  known  outside 
of  the  Tarahumare  tribe  and  their  immediate  neigh- 
bours, the  northern  Tepehuanes,  the  Tubars,  and  some 


256  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Mexicans  in  Ciiihuahiia  who  have  also  adopted  it.  It 
must  not  be  confounded  with  tiie  well-known  Mexican 
drink,  jnilque,  to  which  it  is  superior  in  tlaxour.  It  is 
verv  nourishino-,  and  the  Indians  as  well  as  the  Mexi- 
cans are  in  the  habit  of  abstaining  from  food  before  par- 
taking; of  the  beer,  which  they  assert  would  otherwise 
not  agree  with  them.  But,  food  or  no  food,  at  all  feasts 
and  dances  they  drink  such  incredibly  large  quantities 
that  thev  are  invariably  completely  overpowered  by  it, 
though  when  taken  in  moderation  tesvino  is  only  mildly 
stimulating. 

Another  national  beverage,  maguey  wine,  is  made 
from  a  favourite  sweet  food  of  many  Indian  tribes, 
which  a  white  man's  stomach  can  hardly  digest,  namely, 
the  baked  stalk  of  the  maguey  plant,  or  that  of  other 
agaves.  To  prepare  the  liquor,  the  leaves  are  cut  from 
the  bulb-shaped  stalk  or  heart,  which  looks  like  a  hard 
white  head  of  cabbage.  These  liearts  contain  a  great 
deal  of  saccharine  matter,  and  are  baked  between  hot 
stones  in  earth  mounds,  being  protected  against  contact 
with  earth  by  layers  of  grass. 

When  the  Tarahumares  want  to  make  maguey  wine 
they  leave  the  baked  stalks  in  water  in  natural  hol- 
lows or  pockets  in  rocks,  without  any  covering.  The 
root  of  a  certain  plant  called  frijolillo  is  added  as  a  fer- 
ment, and  after  two  days  the  juice  is  wrung  out  with 
a  blanket. 

An  intoxicating  drink  is  also  made  from  another 
agave,  called  tshawi.  which,  though  common  on  the 
higher  sloj)es  of  the  barrancas,  has  only  recently  be- 
come known  to  science.  According  to  tradition  it  is 
the  tirst  plant  (rod  created,  and  the  li(jUor  made  from  it 
is  considered  by  the  pagan  Tarahumares  as  indispensa- 
ble to  certain  ceremonies.  The  Tepehuanes,  too,  put 
much  importance  on  this  brew,  and  say  that  the  })lant  is 


INDIAN    BEVERAGES  257 

so  sensitive  that  if  one  passes  a  jar  in   which  it  is  being 
boiled  the  liquitl  will  not  ferment. 

Finally  it  should  be  mentioned  that  an  intoxicating, 
though  extremely  distasteful  drink  is  made  from  the 
stalk  of  the  maize  plant  {canci),  by  pounding  this  material 
into  a  pulp,  then  allowing  it  to  soak  in  water  for  three 
days,  when  it  is  fermented,  whereupon  the  liquor  is  pre- 
pared in  the  same  way  as  the  maguey  wine. 

Vol.  I.— 17 


CHAPTER    XIV 

POLITENESS,  AND  THE  DEMANDS  OF  ETIQUETTE — THE  DAILY  LIFE 
OF  THE  TARAHUMARE — THE  WOMAN'S  POSITION  IS  HIGH — 
STANDARD  OF  BEAUTY — WOMEN  DO  THE  COURTING — LOVE'S 
YOUNG  DREAM MARRIAGE  CEREMONIES,  PRIMITIVE  AND  CIV- 
ILISED  CHILDBIRTH CHILDHOOD. 

FOR  a  barbarian,  the  Tarahumare  is  a  very  polite 
personage.  In  his  languaije  he  even  has  a  word 
"  reko  "  which  is  the  equivalent  of  the  English  "  please," 
and  which  he  uses  constantly.  When  passing  a  stran- 
ger, or  leaving  a  person,  he  draws  attention  to  his  action 
by  saying,  "  I  am  going."  As  he  grows  civilised,  how- 
ever, he  loses  his  good  manners. 

In  spite  of  this  he  is  not  hospitable  ;  the  guest  gets 
food,  but  there  is  no  room  for  him  in  the  house  of  a 
Tarahumare.  A  visitor  never  thinks  of  entering  a 
house  without  first  giving  the  family  ample  time  to  get 
ready  to  receive  him.  When  he  approaches  a  friend's 
home,  good  manners  require  him  to  stoj)  sometimes  as 
far  as  twenty  or  thirty  yards  off.  If  he  is  on  more  inti- 
mate terms  with  the  family,  he  may  come  nearer,  and 
make  his  presence  known  by  coughing;  then  he  sits 
down,  selecting  generally  some  little  knoll  from  which 
he  can  be  readily  seen.  In  order  not  to  embarrass  his 
friends  he  does  not  even  look  at  the  house,  but  remains 
sitting  there  gazing  into  vacancy,  his  back  or  side 
turned  toward  the  homestead.  Should  the  host  be  ab- 
sent the  visitor  may  thus  sit  for  a  couj)lc  of  hours  ; 
then  he  will  rise  and  go  slowly  away  again.  Ikit  under 
no   circumstances   will    he   enter  the  home,   unless   for- 

25S 


DOMESTIC    MANNERS 


259 


mally  invited,  "  because,"  lie  says,  "only  the  dogs  enter 
houses  uninvited."  Never  will  the  lady  of  the  house 
commit  such  a  gross  breach  of  etiquette  as  to  go  out 
and  inform  him  of  her  husband's  al)sencc,  to  save  the 
caller  the  trouble  of  waiting,  nor  will  she  if  alone  at 
home,  make  any 
statements  as  to 
that  gentleman's 
whereabouts. 

The  Tarahumare 
never     does     any- 
thing  without  due 
deliberation ;  there- 
fore he  may,  for  a 
quarter  of  an  hour, 
discuss     with      his 
wife    the    possible 
purport  of  the  visit, 
before  he  goes  out 
to    see    the    man. 
They  peep  through   M 
the   cracks    in    the    ^ 
wall  at  him,  and  if    J| 
they  happen  to   be    S. 
eating     or     doing 
anything,  they  may 

keep  the  visitor  waiting  for  half  an  hour.  Finally  the 
host  shakes  out  the  blanket  on  which  he  has  been  sitting, 
throws  it  around  himself,  and,  casting  a  rapid  glance  to 
the  right  and  left  as  he  passes  through  the  door,  goes  to 
take  a  seat  a  few  yards  distant  from  the  caller.  xA.fter 
some  meditation  on  either  side,  the  conversation,  as  in 
more  civilised  society,  opens  with  remarks  about  the 
weather  and  the  prospects  for  rain.  When  this  subject 
is  exhausted,  and   the    host's   curiositv   as  to  where   the 


Tarahumare  Blanket. 


26o 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


man  came  from,  what  he  is  doiiio-  and  where  lie  is  iroinof 
to,  is  satisfied,  the  former  ma\  go  back  to  the  house  and 
fetch  some  })inole  and  meat  for  the  traveller.  The  object 
of  the  visit  not  infrequently  is  an  invitation  to  lake  part 


A  Taraluimarc  Cal 


TARAHUMARE    HOSPITALITY  261 

in  some  game  or  foot-race  ;  and  as  the  men  are  sure  to 
remain  undisturbed,  they  generally  reach  some  under- 
standing. A  friend  of  the  family  is,  of  course,  finally 
invited  to  enter  the  house,  and  the  customary  salutation 
is  "  Assaga !  "  ("Sit  down!")  In  this  connection  it 
may  be  noted  that  the  Tarahumares  in  conversation  look 
sidevvise,  or  even  turn  their  backs  toward  the  person  they 
speak  to. 

After  having  eaten,  the  guest  will  carefully  return 
every  vessel  in  which  food  was  given  to  him,  and  when 
he  rises  he  hands  l)ack  the  skin  on  which  he  was  seated. 
Should  occasion  require,  the  host  will  say  :  "  It  is  get- 
ting late,  and  you  cannot  return  to  your  home  to-night. 
Where  are  you  going  to  sleep  ?  There  is  a  good  cave 
over  vonder."  With  this  he  may  indicate  where  the 
visitor  may  remain  over  night.  He  will  also  tell  him 
where  he  may  find  wood  for  the  fire,  and  he  will  bring 
him  food  ;  but  not  unless  the  weather  is  very  tempestu- 
ous will  he  invite  an  outsider  to  sleep  in  the  house. 

When  at  home  the  Tarahumare  keeps  regular  hours, 
rising  and  retiring  wnth  the  sun.  Having  slept  on  a 
skin  on  the  fioor,  rolled  up  in  his  blanket,  without  any- 
thing for  a  pillow  except  perhaps  a  stone  or  a  chunk  of 
wood,  he  sits  for  a  while  near  the  fire,  which  is  kept  up 
most  of  the  year  at  night  in  the  house  or  cave.  His 
wife  brings  him  his  breakfast  of  pinole.  While  comb- 
ing out  his  long  black  hair  with  a  pine  cone,  he  may  ask 
the  boys  and  girls  whether  they  have  attended  to  the 
traps  he  told  them  to  set  on  the  night  before.  They 
run  out  and  soon  they  come  in  with  some  mice. 
"Here  they  are,"  they  say,  "but  they  are  very  poor!" 
The  father,  however,  may  consider  them  fat  and  nice, 
and  the  mother  affably  adds  :  "  Of  course,  they  are  fat, 
since  they  have  eaten  so  much  corn."  They  go  about 
to  roast  them,  while  the  husl)and  looks  on.      Generally 


262 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


the  Tarahumares  have  a  number  of  traps  set  to  eateh 
mice.  They  are  so  fond  of  this  "game  "  that,  when  civ- 
ilised, they  have  been  known  to  ask  permission  from 
Mexican  acquaintances  to  go  through  their  houses  to 


Tarahumare  Arrow  Release. 

hunt  for  them.  The  mice  are  skinned  and  threaded  on 
a  thin  stick,  which  is  stuck  tbrougli  their  necks  and 
serves  as  a  spit. 

Having  enjoyed  tiie  daintv  morsel  thus  set  before 
him,  the  husband  now  tells  his  wife  what  he  is  groino-  to 
do  to-day.  He  will  run  deer  or  hunt  squirrels,  and 
accordingly  takes  his  bow  and  arrows  or  his  axe  with 
him.  In  spring-lime  he  may  go  to  the  field.  The  wife 
also  tells  of  iier  plans  for  the  dav.  The  work  that  en- 
gages most  of  the  lime  of  the  housewives  in   Mexico  is 


TARAHUMAKES   AT    HOME 


263 


the  grinding  of  tiic  corn,  on  the  metate,  for  corn-cakes ; 
and  if  she  has  any  lime  to  spare  she  boils  beans,  looks 
for  herbs,  or  works  on  her  weaving-frame  ;  but  she  never 
sits  about  idle.  She  looks  as  conscientiously  after  her 
duties  as  any  white  woman  ;  she  has  always  something 
to  do,  and  many  things  to  take  care  of  in  her  small  way. 
About  sunset  the  husband  returns,  bringing  a  squir- 
rel or  rabbit,  which  he  carries  concealed  in  his  blanket, 
that  no  neighbour  may  see  it  and  expect  an  invitation  to 
help  to  eat  it.  As  he  goes  and  comes  he  never  salutes 
his  wife  or  children.  He  enters  in  silence  and  takes  his 
seat  near  the  fire.  The  animal  he  caught  he  throws 
toward  her  where  she  is  kneeling  before  the  metate,  so 
that  it  falls  on  her  skirt.  She  ejaculates  "  Sssssssssss  !  " 
in  approval  and  admiration,  and,  picking  it  up,  praises 
its  good  points  extravagantly:  "What  a  big  mouth! 
What  larpfe  claws ! "  etc.  He  tells  her  how  hard  he 
worked  to  get  that  squirrel,  how  it  had  run  up  the  tree, 
.and  he  had  to  cut  down  that  tree,  till  finally  the   dog 


Height,  18.5  ctm. 


Tarahumare  Baskets. 


caught  it.  "  The  dog  is  beginning  to  be  very  good  at 
hunting,"  he  says.  "  And  now  I  am  very  tired."  She 
spreads  before  him  a  generous  supper  of  beans,  herbs, 
and  maize  porridge,  which  she  has  ready  for  him.  And 
while  he  eats  she  goes  industriously  to  work  removing 
the  fur  from  the  game,  but  leaving  on  the  skin,  not  only 


264  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

because  it  keeps  the  meat  together  while  it  is  boiling, 
but  mainly  because  she  thinks  there  is  a  good  deal  of 
nourishment  in  it,  which  it  would  be  a  shame  to  waste. 

When  the  man  is  at  home,  and  neither  sleeping  nor 
eating,  he  may  sit  down  and  make  a  bow  or  some 
arrows ;  or,  stretched  out  on  his  back,  he  may  resort  to 
his  favourite  amusement,  playing  his  home-made  violin. 
Like  all  Indians  of  Mexico,  the  Tarahumares  are  fond 
of  music  and  have  a  good  ear  for  it.  When  the  Span- 
iards first  came,  they  found  no  musical  instruments 
among  the  Tarahumares  except  the  short  reed  flute,  so 
common  to  many  Mexican  tribes,  the  shaman's  rattle, 
and  the  rasping  stick.  But  they  soon  introduced  the 
violin  and  even  the  guitar,  and  throughout  Mexico  the 
Indians  now  make  these  instruments  themselves,  using 
pine  wood  and  other  indigenous  material  in  their  con- 
struction, sometimes  with  remarkable  skill  and  ingenuity, 
and  for  glue  the  juice  of  a  certain  lily  root.  Having  no 
idea  of  the  value  of  money,  they  frequently  sell  a  toler- 
ably good  instrument  for  fifty  or  even  twenty-five  cents. 

Toward  evening  the  Tarahumare  father  of  a  family 
gets  more  talkative  and  chats  with  his  wife,  and  then 

"The  day  is  done,  and  the  darkness 
Drops  from  the  wings  of  night 
As  a  feather  is  wafted  downward 
From  an  eagle  in  his  flight." 

And  as  the  shadows  deepen,  he  wraps  himself  closer  in 
his  blanket,  and  before  he  knows  it  childlike  slumber 
enfolds  him.  Frequently  he  grows  hungry  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  night,  and  reaches  out  for  food,  as  well  as 
for  his  violin,  devoting  himself  to  music  for  half  an  hour, 
before  he  drops  off  to  sleep  again. 

There  are  more  women  in  the  tribe  than  men,  and 
they  are  looked  upon  as  of  less  importance.     There  is  a 


MAKING   A   BARGAIN 


265 


saying  among  the   people  that  one  man  is  as  good  as 
five  women.      Her  prayers  are  not  of  as  much  v^alue  as 
his,  because   she  prays  only  to  the  moon,  and  her  deity 
is  not  as  big  as  his,  the  sun.      For  this  reason  her  place    > 
is  behind  the  man  in  all  dances.     Yet 
she    occupies    a    comparatively    high 
position  in  the   family,   and    no    bar- 
gain is  ever  concluded  until  the  hus- 
band  has   consulted   his  wife   in   the 
matter.      I  am  bound  to  say,  however, 
that  on  such  occasions  every  member 
of  the  household,  even  the  youngest 
and  smallest  child,  is  asked  to  give  an 
opinion,  and,  if  one  of  the  little  tots 
objects,  the  sale  will  not  be  closed.    In 
such   cases  there   is   nothinor  for  the 
customer  to  do  but  to  try  to  influence 
the  young  business  man   who  raised 
the  objection,  not  directly,  but  through 
his  parents.    This  accounts  for  a  good 
deal  of  the  frightful  loss  of  time  in- 
curred in  dealing  with  these  Indians. 
The  purchase  of  a  sheep  may  require 
two  days,  and  the  negotiations  concerning  an  ox  may 
extend  over  an  entire  week. 

That  a  woman  of  intelligence  and  character  is  ap- 
preciated even  among  barbarians  is  proven  by  the  fact 
that  once  a  woman  was  made  grobernador,  or  chief,  be- 
cause  "  she  knew  more  than  men."  She  did  not  assume 
the  title,  but  she  is  said  to  have  ruled  with  more  wisdom 
and  justice  than  many  of  her  predecessors  and  successors. 

Husband  and  wife  never  show  their  affection  in 
public  except  when  drunk.  Parents  kiss  their  little  ones 
on  the  mouth  and  on  the  stomach,  and  the  youngsters 
express  their  love  for  each  other  in  the  same  way.     On 


Tarahumare  Girl 
Carrying  Water. 


266  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

some  occasions  I  have  seen  lovers  sitting  closely  to- 
gether, she  holding  on  to  his  forefinger.  The  women 
are  of  a  jealous  disposition. 

The  Tarahumare  standard  of  beauty  is  not  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  classic  ideal  as  we  perceive  it,  nor 
is  it  altogether  in  conformity  with  modern  views  on  the 
subject.  Large,  fat  thighs  are  the  first  requisite,  and 
a  good-looking  person  is  called  "  a  beautiful  thigh." 
Erect  carriage  is  another  essential  to  beauty.  In  the 
face,  the  eyes  attract  more  notice  than  any  other  feature, 
and  the  most  admired  ones  are  "  the  eyes  like  those  of 
a  mouse."  This  is  the  highest  praise  that  can  be  be- 
stowed upon  anyone's  personal  appearance.  Thcv  all 
like  straight  hair,  and  consider  hair  very  ugly  when  it 
has  a  curl  at  the  end.  I  once  asked  a  bright  young 
Tarahumare  how  the  man  must  look  who  is  most  ad- 
mired by  women,  whether  his  mouth  and  nose  should  be 
large  or  small,  etc.,  and  he  replied,  "  They  must  be 
similar  to  mine  !  "  Aside  from  good  looks,  the  women 
like  best  men  who  work  well,  just  as  in  civilised  coun- 
tries a  woman  mav  look  out  for  a  good  />a7'//. 

But  wealth  does  not  make  the  possessor  more  at- 
tractive to  the  girls.  In  Nararachic  was  an  elderly  man 
who  owned  forty  head  of  cattle  and  eighteen  horses. 
When  he  became  a  widower,  he  had  to  live  with  an 
elderly  woman  of  bad  reputation,  as  he  could  not  get 
another  woman  to  marry  him. 

The  young  women  enjoy  absolute  liberty,  except 
as  regards  Mexicans,  a^^ainst  whom  they  are  always 
warned.  They  are  told  that  they  become  sick  from 
contact  with  such  men.  Never  are  they  forced  to  con- 
tract what  would  turn  out  to  be  a  loxt-less  marriage.  A 
beautiful  Indian  girl  was  much  sought  for  by  a  Mexican. 
He  spoke  the  Tarahumare  language  very  well,  and 
offered  to  give  her  a  good  house  and  fine  clothes  and  a 


PLATE    V[ 


TARAHUMARE   MARRIAGES  267 

Avhole  handful  of  silver  dollars.  Her  brother,  who  was 
half  civilised,  and  therefore  more  corrupt  than  the  ordi- 
nary Indian,  also  tried  to  j)ersuade  her  to  accept  the 
rich  suitor.  But  she  tossed  ujj  her  head  and  exclaimed, 
"  Tshine  awlama  gatsha  negale  "  which,  freely  trans- 
lated, means:  "  I  do  not  like  that  fellow;  love  goes  where 
it  chooses." 

'ilie  custom  of  the  country  requires  the  girl  to  do  all 
the  courting.  She  is  just  as  bashful  as  the  young  swain 
whom  she  wishes  to  fascinate,  but  she  has  to  take  the 
initiative  in  love  affairs.  The  young  people  meet  only 
at  the  feasts,  and  after  she  has  gotten  mildly  under  the 
influence  of  the  native  beer  that  is  liberally  consumed 
by  all,  she  tries  to  attract  his  attention  by  dancing 
before  him  in  a  clumsy  way  up  and  down  on  the  same 
spot.  But  so  bashful  is  she  that  she  persistently  keeps 
her  back  turned  toward  him.  She  may  also  sit  down 
near  him  and  pull  his  blanket  and  sing  to  him  in  a 
gentle  low  voice  a  simple  love-song  : 


Se-(se)-ma  -  te    re  -  hoy  i  -  ru     Se-(se)-ma-  te     re  -  hoy  i  -  v4 
Beau-ti-fiil      man       to  be  sure,  Beau-li-ful    man       to    be  sure. 

If  occasion  requires,  the  parents  of  the  girl  may  say 
to  the  parents  of  the  boy,  "  Our  daughter  wants  to 
marry  your  son."  Then  they  send  the  girl  to  the  boy's 
home,  that  the  young  people  may  become  acquainted. 
For  two  or  three  davs,  perhaps,  thev  do  not  speak  to 
each  other,  but  finally  she  playfully  begins  to  throw 
pebbles  at  him.  If  he  does  not  return  them,  she  under- 
stands that  he  does  not  care  for  her.  If  he  throws  them 
back  at  her,  she  knows  that  she  has  won  him.  She  lets 
her  blanket  drop  and  runs  off  into  the  woods,  and  he  is 
not  long  in  following  her. 


268  UNKNOWN    iMEXICO 

Sometimes  the  boy,  when  he  Hkes  a  girl  very  much, 
mav  make  the  first  advances,  but  even  then  he  has  to 
wait  until  she  throws  the  first  pebbles  and  drops  the 
blanket,  for.  amonsj;'  the  Indians,  it  is  the  woman  who 
seeks  the  man,  and  the  fair  who  deserve  the  brave. 


IVont  View  Side  View. 

Tarahumarc,  Shouii.g  Mode  of  Wearing  Blanket. 

Next  dav  thev  comv  honn'  together,  ;uid  after  this 
they  do  not  hide  themselves  anv  more.  The  parents  of 
the  (rn\  are  advised  to  make  tesvino.  as  tiie  young  couple 
should  not  i)e  separated  any  more,  and  word  is  sent  out 
to  a  few  friends  and  relatives  to  come  to  the  wedding. 


A    BRIDAL    PAIR  269 

The  ii;uests  arrive  in  the  afternoon  and  most  of  tlie 
peoj)le  remain  outside  o(  the  house  (hniuii  tlie  cere- 
mony, but  the  brideoroom  and  his  i)arents  go  inside, 
where  they  seat  themselves  on  skms  sj:)read  out  on  the 
Hoor.  1  lie  mothei  of  the  girl  has  j:)laced  a  large  skin 
next  to  a  big  jar  of  tesvino,  and  on  this  the  father  of 
the  boy  sits  down.  As  soon  as  he  has  taken  his  |)lace, 
the  host  offers  him  three  gourds  full  of  the  drink  and  re- 
quests him  to  accept  the  office  of  honour,  the  distribution 
of  tesvino  to  all  present,  and  he  immediately  enters 
upon  his  duties.  He  first  gives  four  gourds  full  to  the 
mother  of  the  bride,  as  the  mistress  of  the  tesvino,  and 
three  gourds  full  to  the  host,  the  master  ;  then  four 
gourds  full  to  his  own  wife.  The  bridal  couple  have 
been  called  in  and  told  to  sit  down  side  by  side,  and  all 
the  rest  of  the  people  come  in  and  stand  around  the 
pair.  There  is  no  special  place  assigned  to  anyone  ; 
but  the  father  of  the  boy  stands  uji  and  his  mother  sits 
down,  while  the  girl's  father  sits  down  and  her  mother 
stands  uj).  The  boy's  father  now  makes  a  speech,  tell- 
ing the  bridal  couple  that  thev  must  remain  together, 
and  never  separate  nor  light.  He  specially  tells  the 
young  man  that  he  has  to  kill  deer  and  take  care  always 
to  bring  some  animal  home  to  his  wife,  even  if  it  be 
only  a  chipmunk  or  a  mouse.  He  also  has  to  plough 
and  to  sow  corn  and  to  raise  crops,  that  he  and  she  may 
always  have  enough  to  eat  and  not  go  hungry. 

The  father  of  the  girl  next  takes  the  word,  addressing 
himself  mostly  to  the  bride.  Now  that  she  is  united  to 
the  man  of  her  choice,  she  should  always  comply  with 
her  wifely  duties.  She  must  make  blankets  for  her 
husband,  and  be  industrious,  make  tesvino  and  iskiate, 
pinole,  tortillas,  gather  herbs,  etc.,  that  her  husband 
may  always  have  something  to  eat  and  not  go  hungry. 
He  names  all  the  herbs  singly.      She  must  also  help  him, 


270  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

in  her  way,  with  the  j)louo-hin,ii-  and  sowing,  so  that  he 
may  raise  plenty  of  eorn  to  make  tesvino  that  others 
may  help  liini.     She  never  must  be  lazy. 

The  father  of  the  girl  now  gives  tesvino  to  his  future 
son-in-law,  whose  father  in  turn  gives  some  to  the  bride. 
The  bridal  couple  are  covered  with  blankets,  and  in 
some  cases  his  and  her  right  hands  are  tied  together. 
There  is  no  other  marriage  ceremony.  But  all  the 
guests  partake  of  the  liberally  flowing  bowl,  and  the 
festivities  end  in  general  and  complete  intoxication. 

About  two  weeks  later,  the  parents  of  the  bridegroom 
make  a  feast  exactly  the  same  in  character,  but  now  the 
father  of  the  girl  occupies  the  seat  of  honour  next  to  the 
big  tesvino  jar  and  acts  as  distributer.  He  also  makes 
the  first  speech.  The  bridegroom  gives  to  his  brother- 
in-law  a  flint  for  striking  fire,  and  six  arrows.  No  mat- 
ter how  many  brothers  the  bride  has,  they  all  get  this 
present.  It  is  considered  an  exchange  for  the  girl.  The 
shamans  avail  themselves  oi  jtis  primcE  noctis. 

After  the  marriage  the  bridal  couple  separate,  each 
staying  in  the  old  home  for  several  weeks,  after  which 
the  young  man  comes  to  live  with  his  father-in-law  for 
half  a  year  or  a  year,  until  he  has  had  time  to  make  a 
house  for  himself.  In  the  meantime  the  young  couple 
are  fed,  but  they  receive  nothing  else.  The  young  man 
has  his  own  animals,  which  he  got  wdien  he  was  small, 
and  now  his  father  gives  him  a  piece  of  land. 

Among  the  Christian  Tarahumares  the  fiscal  is  ad- 
vised of  any  contemplated  maniage.  This  functionary 
has  charge  of  the  church  edifice  and  the  teaching  of 
the  children.  It  is  his  duty  to  take  the  young  couples 
to  the  padre  to  be  married.  But  the  padre  is  far  away 
and  comes  around  only  once  a  year,  and  sometimes 
even  less  frequently,  and  then  the  fiscal,  so  to  say, 
rounds  uj)  all  the  matrimoniallv  inclined.     On  account 


PADRE'S   SERVICES  271 

of  their  innate  ardour  to  comj)ly  with  all  religious  re- 
quirements the  Tarahumares  are  willing  to  go  through 
the  ceremony,  though  to  them  it  has  no  significance 
beyond  the  payment  of  one  dollar.  On  this  account 
they  do  not  mind  waiting  for  the  padre's  blessing  for  a 
couple  of  years,  until  they  get  ready  to  part  with  the 
dollar,  thereby  generally  saving  an  extra  trip  for  bap- 
tising. 

As  the  padre's  visits  are  so  few  and  far  between,  the 
fiscal  even  considers  it  incumbent  upon  himself  to 
make  up  matches  on  his  own  account,  telling  the  people 
that  when  the  padre  comes  they  should  be  ready  to  get 
married.  But  so  independent  are  the  Tarahumare  girls 
that  it  has  happened  that  when  the  padre  asks  the  por- 
tentous question,  they  cry,  "  Kake,  ka,'ke  "  ("  No,  no"), 
and  run  away. 

In  my  time  there  was  a  padre  (now  removed)  who 
emulated  the  example  of  the  shamans  and  was  fre- 
quently in  his  cups.  On  one  occasion  he  was  unable 
to  perform  the  marriage  ceremonies,  and  the  sacristan 
accompanying  him  had  to  take  his  place.  All  this  man 
knew  about  the  rite  was  to  ask  the  man  and  the  woman 
whether  they  would  have  each  other.  On  hearing  their 
"Yes"  he  would  say,  "Where  is  the  dollar?"  and  pock- 
eting it  send  the  couple  off  with,  "  Now  you  are  all 
right." 

When  an  addition  is  expected  in  the  family  the  chief 
preparation  of  the  woman  is  to  get  ready  a  quantity  of 
beer,  calling  on  her  friends  to  help  her,  wdiile  the  hus- 
band goes  to  look  for  the  shaman.  When  she  feels  her 
time  is  approaching,  she  retires  to  some  lonely  spot,  as 
she  is  too  bashful  to  bear  her  child  while  others  are 
about.  She  tightens  her  girdle  around  her  waist,  and 
bears  her  child  sitting  up,  holding  on  to  something 
above  her,  like   the  branch  of  a  tree.     After  the  little 


272  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

strani^er  has  arrived  the  husband  may  l)ring  her  a  jar  with 
warm  water  from  whieh  she  occasionally  drinks.  He  also 
digs  a  hole,  in  which,  after  he  has  gone,  she  buries  the  pla- 
centa, placing  stones  on  top  of  the  place  on  account  of  the 
dogs.  The  umbilical  cord  is  cut  with  a  sharp  reed  or  a 
sharp-edged  jMece  of  obsidian,  but  never  with  a  knife,  for 
in  that  case  the  child  would  become  a  murderer  and  could 
never  be  a  shaman.  I  once  asked  a  Tarahumare  where 
he  was  born,  expecting  him  to  give  me  the  name  of 
some  ranch  ;  I  was  rather  amused  when  he  pointed  to  a 
big  stone  a  little  farther  on  along  the  slope.  That  was 
his  birthplace. 

The  mother  may  lie  down  for  that  day,  but  the  fol- 
lowing morning  she  works  as  usual,  as  if  nothing  had 
been  the  matter  with  her.  The  husband  does  not  work 
for  three  days,  because  he  thinks  his  axe  would  break, 
or  the  horns  of  his  ox  would  fall  off,  or  he  would  break 
a  leg.     The  third  day  he  takes  a  bath. 

When  the  baby  is  three  days  old  the  shaman  comes 
to  cure  it.  A  big  fire  is  made  of  corn-cobs,  the  little 
one  is  placed  on  a  blanket,  and  with  the  father's  assist- 
ance the  shaman  carries  it,  if  it  is  a  boy,  three  times 
through  the  smoke  to  the  four  cardinal  points,  making 
the  ceremonial  circuit  and  finally  raising  it  upward. 
This  is  done  that  the  child  may  grow  well  and  be  suc- 
cessful in  life,  that  is,  in  raising  corn.  Then  the  sha- 
man takes  a  burning  corn-cob  from  the  fire  and  with 
the  charred  end  makes  three  parallel  lines  lengthwise 
over  the  child's  head  and  three  across  them.  He  also 
sprinkles  tesvino  on  the  head  and  other  vital  parts  of 
the  body  to  make  them  strong,  and  cures  the  um- 
bilical cord.  He  may,  too,  anoint  the  child  with  the  fat 
of  the  rattlesnake  mixed  with  herbs,  and  leave  it  in  the 
sun,  that  the  light  may  enter  its  heart.  For  his  services 
the  shaman  gets  a  little  maize,  beans,  salt,  etc. 


"CURING"   A   CHILD  273 

On  the  fourth  day  the  mother  goes  down  to  the 
river  to  bathe,  and  while  bathing  leaves  the  little  one 
naked,  exposed  to  the  sun  for  at  least  an  hour,  in  spite 
of  all  its  wailings,  that  l'\ither  Sun  may  see  and  know 
his  new  child.  The  baby  is  not  washed  until  it  is  a  year 
old.  Then  it  is  cured  again,  by  the  shaman,  who  on 
various  occasions  throughout  its  life  repeats  his  curing, 
that  the  child  may  grow  well  and  that  no  sickness  or  bad 
accidents  may  befall  it.  To  protect  it  still  further,  pieces 
of  palo  hediondo  or  the  chuchupate  root,  the  strong  smell 
of  which  is  supposed  to  avail  against  disease,  are  wrapped 
in  a  piece  of  cloth  and  tied  around  the  child's  neck. 

The  mother  nurses  the  child  until  it  is  three  years 
old.  In  some  instances  she  begins  to  give  it  once  in  a 
while  a  little  pinole  when  it  is  only  six  months  old. 
When  two  years  of  age  a  child  begins  to  walk  and  to 
talk.  Sometimes  when  the  mother  is  busy,  for  instance 
at  the  metate,  and  will  not  stop  to  nurse  him,  the  little 
rascal  may  take  a  stick  and  in  his  way  try  to  beat  her. 

The  Tarahumare  woman  is  a  faithful  mother,  and 
takes  good  care  of  her  children.  She  generally  has  from 
six  to  eight,  often  more.  While  small  the  children  play 
with  primitive  dolls.  They  dress  up  corn-cobs  with 
scraps  of  textiles  and  put  them  upright  in  the  sand, 
saying  that  they  are  matachines  and  drunken  women. 
They  also  play,  like  other  children,  with  beans  and  acorns, 
or  with  young  chickens  with  their  legs  tied  together.  Of 
course  the  youngsters  maltreat  these.  Sometimes  they 
play,  too,  with  stuffed  squirrels,  but  there  are  no  special 
children's  games.  The  father  makes  bows  and  arrows 
for  the  boys,  and  instructs  them  in  hunting  and  agricult- 
ural work.  As  the  girls  grow  up,  the  mother  teaches 
them  how  to  spin  yarn  and  weave  blankets,  "  for,"  she 
tells  them,  "otherwise  they  will  become  men."  She  also 
warns   them  not  to  have  children  too  rapidly  in  succes- 

VOL.  I.  — iS 


274 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


sion.  for  there  is  no  one  to  carry  them  for  her.  Women 
cannot  eat  the  tenderloin  until  they  are  verv  old,  because 
if  they  did  thev  could  have  no  children.  For  the  same 
reason  they   must  not  eat  the   pancreas.     The   women 


Tarahumarc  Blankets 


who  fear  lest  they  may  have  difficulty  in  giving  birth 
to  a  child  make  soup  of  an  opossum  and  eat  it.  Girls 
must  not  touch  deer  antlers,  or  their  breasts  would  fall 
off. 

A  characteristic  custom  is  that  the  children,  no  mat- 
ter how  old  they  get,  and  even  after  they  are  married 
and  have  families  of  their  own,  never  help  themselves  to 
anything  in  the  })arents'  house.  The  mother  lias  to  giv^e 
all  the  food,  etc.,  and  she  gives  as  long  as  she  has  any- 
thing. 

Parents  never  inflict  corporal  punishment  upon  the 
young  people.  If  a  boy  does  not  behave  himself,  he  gets 
scolded,  and    his  father's  friends  may  also  remonstrate 


CHILD    DISCIPLINE  275 

with  him  at  a  feast.  Otherwise,  the  children  grow  up 
entirely  independent,  and  if  angry  a  boy  may  even  strike 
his  father.  A  girl  will  never  go  so  far,  but  when  scolded 
will  pout  and  weep  and  complain  that  she  is  unjustly 
treated.  How  different  is  this  from  the  way  in  which, 
for  instance,  Chinese  children  treat  their  parents  !  It 
does  not  favour  much  the  theory  that  the  American  Ind- 
ians originally  came  from  Asia. 


CHAPTER    XV 

MANY     KINDS      OF      GAMES      AMONG     THE     TARAHUMARES BETTING 

AND    GAMBLING  FOOT-RACES     THE     NATIONAL      SPORT THE 

TARAHUMARES  ARE  THE  GREATEST  RUNNERS  IN  THE  WORLD 
—  DIVINATIONS  FOR  THE  RACE — MOUNTAINS  OF  BETTING 
STAKES women's    RACES. 

TO  my  knowledge  there  is  no  tribe  so  fond  of 
games  as  the  Tarahumares.  There  are  few  days 
in  the  year  when  a  man  has  not  a  game  of  some  kind 
to  play.  Even  when  they  become  civilised  and  demor- 
alised, in  spite  of  their  depression  and  poverty  this  pas- 
sion of  theirs  still  clings  to  them.  While  it  is  true  that 
there  is  always  something  of  value,  however  insignifi- 
cant, put  at  stake,  their  gambling  spirit  is  not  vicious. 
They  have  some  curious  practices  in  their  play  :  when 
going  to  run  a  race,  or  when  intending  to  play  ciiatro 
or  (jiiiiizc,  they  do  not  eat  chile.  Where  holes  in  the 
ground  are  required  for  a  game,  as  in  cuatro  and 
quinze,  they  are  generally  made  in  the  level  space  on 
a  rock. 

Very  common  is  it  lo  see  two  young  men  amusing 
themselves  with  shooting-matches,  shooting  arrows  at 
an  arrow  which  has  been  shot  out  into  the  ground  some 
fifty  yards  off  as  a  mark.  This  arrow,  as  well  as  the 
game  itself,  is  called  in  Mexican  Spanish  IccJnigitiUa. 
In  Tarahumare  the  game  is  called  chogirali.  and  the 
target-arrow  chogiia.  The  arrow  coming  nearest  the 
chogira  counts  one  j)oint ;  and  if  it  comes  within  four 
fingers'  width   of  the  aim,   it   counts  four.     The  game 

276 


MANY    KINDS   OF   GAMES  277 

is  for  twelve  points.  The  distance  is  not  measured  from 
the  points  of  tiie  arrows,  but  from  the  winged  parts, 
one  man  measuring  for  all.  If  a  shot  arrow  strikes  so 
as  to  form  a  cross  with  the  chogira,  it  counts  four.  If 
it  only  touches  the  point  of  the  latter  in  the  ground  it 
counts  two.  If  two  arrows  happen  to  form  crosses, 
neither  counts. 

Instead  of  arrows,  three  sticks  may  be  employed. 
One  is  thrown  out  at  a  distance  and  is  the  chogfira,  and 
the  other  two  sticks  are  thrown  toward  it,  and  count 
in  a  similar  w^ay  as  the  arrows.  Often  while  travelling, 
the  Tarahumares  play  this  game,  in  either  form,  as  they 
go  along  the  road,  perhaps  for  the  entire  distance. 
Two  and  three  pairs  may  play  together. 

There  is  also  a  game  very  similar  to  quoits,  played 
with  stone  disks.  Hat  on  one  side  and  convex  on  the 
other.      It  is  called  rixiwatali  __— -r-r- 

(rixiwala=disk),  and  two  and  /  ^^4^- 

tw^o  play  against  each  other.  /  "^  "  ^r5\ 

First  one  stone  is  moistened 
with  spittle  on  one  side  to 
make  it  "heads  or  tails"  and 
tossed  up.  The  player  who 
wins  the  toss  plays  first.   Each  ^^°"'  ^''^  ^"°''  ^'^^'"8" 

*       -^  .  Diameter,  9.5  ctm. 

has    three    stones,   which   are 

thrown  toward  a  hole  in  the  ground,  perhaps  twenty  yards 
off.  One  of  each  party  throws  first,  then  goes  to  the  hole 
and  looks  at  it,  while  the  other  players  make  their 
throws.  The  stone  falling  nearest  to  the  hole  counts 
one  point ;  if  it  falls  into  the  hole,  it  counts  four  ;  if  the 
stone  of  the  second  player  falls  on  top  of  the  first  stone 
in  the  hole,  it  "kills"  the  first  stone.  The  game  is  out 
at  twelve.  To  measure  distances,  thev  break  off  small 
sticks.  Lookers-on  may  stand  around  and  bet  which  of 
the  players  will  win. 


278 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


Another  game  is  called  takwari,  "  to  beat  the  ball "  ; 
in  Spanish, /c?/?'//^.  It  is  played  only  by  women.  Two 
play  at  a  time.  One  knocks  a  small 
wooden  ball  toward  one  2:oal,  while 
her  opponent  tries  to  get  it  to  another. 
This  game  is  also  played  by  the  north- 
ern Tepehuane  women,  who  some- 
times use  two  short  sticks  tied  tofjether      ^'^,  ^^    , ,    ^ 

.  .  ,        r       1    '     1     11         Sticks  Used  by  Tepe- 

m    the    middle,    instead    01    the    ball,    huanes    for    Plaving. 

The  sticks  are  thrown  ahead  from  their   Length  of  Sticks  about 

places  on  the  ground  with  a  kind  of 

quick,  prying  movement,  with  the  aid  of  a  longer  stick. 
Civilised  Tarahumares,  as  well  as  the  Mexicans,  play 

with  knuckle-bones  as  dice.     The  game  is  called  la  taba, 

and  the  bones  are  taken  from 
either  the  deer,  the  sheep,  or 
the  goat.  Only  one  bone  is 
used  by  the  two  players. 
Twelve  points  make  a  game, 
and  each  player  has  twelve 
grains  of  corn  with  which 
he  kee})s  count.  He  makes 
two  rings  in  the  sand,  and 
jnits  his  twelve  grains  in  one 
ring,  and  as  the  game  pro- 
gresses he  transfers  them 
into  the  second  ring  until 
the  game  is  out. 

Their  greatest  gambling 
game,  at  which  they  may 
plav  even  when  tipsy,  is 
(juinze  ;  in  Tarahiimare,  ro- 
mavda.      It   is    played    with 

four  sticks  of  ccpial  length,  called  romalaka  and  inscribed 

with  certain  marks  to  indicate  their  value.      Practically 


Value  of  the  Different  Sides 
of  a  Knuckle-bone. 


60 


BETTING   AND   GAMBLING  281 

they  serve  the  same  puiposc  as  diee,  but  they  are  thrown 
in  a  different  way.  The  phiyer  2;rasps  them  in  his  left 
iiand,  levels  their  ends  carefully,  lifts  his  bundle,  and 
strikes  the  ends  against  a  flat  or  square  little  stone  in 
front  of  him,  from  which  they  rebound  toward  his  o})}K)- 
nent.  The  sticks  count  in  accordance  with  the  way  they 
fall.  The  point  of  the  game  is  to  pass  through  a  figure 
outlined  by  small  holes  in  the  ground  between  the  two 
players.  The  movements,  of  course,  depend  upon  the 
points  gained  in  throwing  the  sticks,  and  the  count  is 
kept  by  means  of  a  little  stone,  which  is  placed  in  the 
respective  hole  after  each  throw.  Many  accidents  may 
impede  its  progress  ;  for  instance,  it  may  happen  to  be 
in  the  hole  into  which  the  adversary  comes  from  the 
opposite  direction.  In  this  case  he  is  "killed,"  and  he 
has  to  begin  again  from  the  starting-point.  The  advance 
is  regulated  by  a  number  of  ingenious  by-laws,  which 
make  the  game  highly  intellectual  and  entertaining.  If 
he  has  the  wherewithal  to  pay  his  losses,  a  Tarahumare 
may  go  on  playing  for  a  fortnight  or  a  month,  until  he 
has  lost  everything  he  has  in  this  world,  except  his  wife 
and  children  ;  he  draws  the  line  at  that.  He  scrupu- 
lously pays  all  his  gambling  debts. 

The  northern  Tepehuanes  also  know"  this  game,  and 
play  with  sticks  eighteen  to  twenty  inches  long.  As 
these  larger  sticks  fly  quite  a  distance  off  when  rebound- 
ing, the  players  sit  rather  far  apart. 

Wrestling  also  may  be  observed,  but  what  may  be 
termed  the  national  sport,  of  which  the  Tarahumares  are 
inordinately  fond,  is  foot-racing,  which  goes  on  all  the 
year  round,  even  when  the  people  are  weakened  from 
scarcity  of  food.  The  interest  centres  almost  entirely  in 
the  betting  that  goes  with  it ;  in  fact,  it  is  only  another 
way  of  gambling.  It  is  called  rala  hipa  ("  with  the 
foot  throw  "),  the  word  alluding  to  a  ball  used  at  the  race. 


282  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

No  doubt  tlic  Tamhumarcs  are  the  greatest  runners 
in  the  world,  not  in  regard  to  speed,  but  endurance.  A 
Taraliumare  will  easily  run  170  miles  without  stopping. 
When  an  Indian  is  sent  out  as  a  messenger,  he  goes 
along  at  a  slow  trol.  running  steadily  and  constantly. 
A  man  has  been  known  to  carry  a  letter  in  five  days 
from  Guazapares  to  Chihuahua  and  back,  a  distance  of 
nearly  600  miles  by  the  road.  Even  considering  short- 
cuts, which  he,  no  doubt,  knew,  it  was  quite  a  feat  of 
endurance  ;  for  he  must  have  lived,  as  the  Indians  al- 
ways do  while  travelling,  on  pinole  and  water  only. 

Where  the  Indians  serve  the  Mexicans  they  are 
often  employed  to  run  wild  horses  into  the  corral.  It 
may  take  them  two  or  three  days,  but  they  will  bring 
them  in,  the  horses  thoroughly  exhausted,  while  the 
men,  who,  of  course,  economise  their  strength,  and 
sleep,  and  eat  ]:)inole,  are  comparatively  fresh.  In  the 
same  way  they  will  run  down  a  deer,  following  it  for 
days  through  snow  and  rain,  until  the  animal  is  cor- 
nered and  easily  shot  with  arrows,  or  until  it  is  over- 
taken utterly  jaded  and  its  hoofs  dropping  off. 

1  his  propensity  for  iiuining  is  so  great  that  the  name 
of  the  tribe  alludes  to  it.  Tarahumare  is  a  Spanish 
corruption  of  ralamari,  the  meaning  of  which,  though 
somewhat  obscure,  may  doubtless  best  be  given  as 
"foot-runners,"  because  raid  certainlv  means  "foot." 

The  race  is  alwavs  between  two  localities,  each  side 
being  represented  by  from  four  to  twent\'  runners.  The 
two  i)arties  show  in  their  apparel  some  distinctive  mark; 
for  instance,  all  of  one  troop  have  red  head-bands,  while 
the  others  may  wear  white  ones. 

A  |)eculiar  feature  is  that  the  men  toss  along  a  small 
ball  as  they  run,  each  j)artv  having  one  of  their  own. 
These  balls  are  about  two  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter 
and   carved    fiom   the    loot    of    the   oak.      The    foremost 


I'OOT-RACES 


283 


runner  kicks  it  with  the  toes  of  his  right  foot,  so  as 
to  make  it  bound  along  as  far  as  100  yards,  and  he  and 
all  the  men  l)ehin(l  him  follow  in  the  same  trot  as  be- 
fore. The  first  man  reachino-  it  as^ain  kicks  it  onward. 
It  must  nev^er  be  touched  by  the  hand,  unless  it  hap- 
dens  to  fall  in  some  awkward  place,  as  between  stones  or 
in  a  water-pool,  when  it  is  picked  up  and  kicked  on. 

There  is  never  any  laid-out  track,  but  the  circuit  is 
determined  in  a  general  way  by  crosses  cut  in  trees. 
There  are  certain  favourite  places  al- 
ways used  as  race-courses.  The  run- 
ners seem  to  have  a  preference  for 
the  level  tops  of  low  ridges  lying  in 
a  circle,  wherever  this  is  possible.  If 
this  is  not  feasible,  they  may 
run  forward  and  back  on  a 
ridge,  starting  always  near  the 
middle,  from  some  little  plane 
or  other  convenient  place, 
where  the  people  gather  for 
the  occasion. 

There  is  a  manager  for  each  party,  and  the  two  ar- 
range the  time  and  place  for  the  race  to  be  held,  also 
the  number  and  length  of  the  circuits  to  be  made.  A 
circuit  may  measure  from  three  to  twelve  miles  in  ex- 
tent, and  when  the  circuits  are  short  as  many  as  twenty 
may  be  agreed  upon.  At  one  race-course  near  Cari- 
cliic,  the  circuit  is  about  fourteen  miles  long,  and  twelve 
circuits  may  be  run  here  without  stopping.  Runners  of 
equal  ability  are  matched  against  each  other,  each  side 
being,  of  course,  anxious  to  secure  the  best.  The  man- 
agers take  care  of  their  men  until  the  race  comes  off. 
The  training  consists  mainly  in  abstinence  from  tesvino 
for  two  or  five  days  before  the  event.  When  preparing 
for  a  big  race  the  runners  may  practise ;  not  that  they 


Cross  Marking  the  Track  of 
the  Foot-runners. 


284  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

need  trainino;  in  running-,  for  that  comes  to  them  as  nat-' 
urally  as    swimming    to    the  eluck  ;    hut  only  that  they 
practise  kicking  the  hall  and  tr\'  the  ground. 

Much  more  important  are  the  magical  devices  by 
means  of  which  thev  endeavt)ur  to  secure  their  own  suc- 
cess and  to  defeat  their  opponents.  A  daring  manager 
may  go  to  a  burial  cave,  taking  two  balls  with  him.  He 
digs  out  a  hone,  preferably  the  tibia  from  the  right  leg, 
and  sets  it  on  the  floor  of  the  cave  m  which  it  has  been 
found.  In  front  of  it  he  places  a  jar  with  tesvino  and 
some  vessels  containing  food.  On  either  side  of  these 
he  lays  one  of  his  balls,  and  in  front  of  all  he  plants  the 
cross.  The  food  and  the  beer  are  the  pavment  to  the 
dead  that  he  may  help  to  win  the  race  by  weakening 
the  adversaries. 

■As  human  bones  are  supposed  to  induce  fatigue,  some 
mav  be  brought  to  the  race-track  and  secreted  there  in 
such  a  way  that  the  competing  runners  have  to  pass 
over  the  spot,  while  the  manager's  own  crew  are  advised 
of  the  danger,  to  avoid  it.  The  man  uses  the  utmost 
care  not  to  touch  the  bones  with  his  Angers,  lest  he 
should  dry  up  ;  instead,  he  uses  sticks  in  handling  and 
carrying  them. 

Scores  of  remedies  are  brought  to  the  scene,  either 
to  strengthen  friends  or  to  weaken  opponents.  Cer- 
tain herbs  are  thrown  into  the  air  or  shaken  before 
the  runners  to  enervate  them.  Some  enterprising 
Mexican  may  bring  a  white  powder  or  similar  sub- 
stance, declaring  that  it  is  very  efficacious,  and  get  a 
Tarahumare  to  pay  a  high  price  for  it.  But  whatever 
means  arc  employed,  one  way  or  the  other,  there  is  al- 
ways a  counter-remed\'  to  offset  its  effect.  Specially 
potent  is  the  blood  of  the  turtle  and  the  bat,  stirred  to- 
gether, dried,  and  mixed  with  a  little  tobacco,  which  is 
then  rolled   into  a  ciirar  and  smoked.      Ilikuli   and  the 


SHAMANS    AS    1  KAINKRS  287 

dried  head  of  an  eagle  or  a  crow  may  be  worn  under 
the  girdle  as  a  protection. 

The  services  of  the  shaman  are  indispensable  for  the 
foot-runners.  He  helps  the  manager,  himself  often  a 
shaman,  to  rub  the  men  with  herbs  and  smooth  stones 
to  make  them  strong.  He  also  makes  passes  over  them 
to  guard  them  against  sorcery.  On  the  day  before  the 
races  he  "cures"  them.  Food  and  remedies  are  placed 
on  a  blanket  beneath  the  cross,  together  with  many 
magical  things.  The  herbs  are  very  powerful  and  have 
to  be  tied  up  in  bags  of  buckskin  or  cotton  cloth,  as 
otherwise  they  might  break  away.  The  water  for  the 
runners  to  drink  is  also  placed  underneath  the  cross,  and 
candles  are  set  on  either  side  of  the  pile.  The  run- 
ners bring  their  balls  and  stand  in  a  row  around  the 
cross.  Then  the  shaman,  taking  his  position  in  front  of 
the  latter,  smokes  incense  of  copal  over  them,  and  sings 
of  the  tail  of  the  grey  fox,  and  other  songs.  He  also 
makes  a  speech,  warning  them  not  to  accept  pinole  or 
water  in  other  people's  houses.  All  their  food  and 
drink  must  come  from  their  relatives  as  a  guard  against 
witchcraft  and  illness.  The  runners  drink  three  times 
from  the  water  and  the  strengthening  remedies  ;  then 
the  principal  runner  leads  the  others  in  a  ceremonial 
circuit  around  the  cross,  walking  as  many  times  around 
it  as  there  are  circuits  to  be  run  in  the  race.  The  men 
sleep  near  the  cross,  to  watch  the  remedies  on  the 
blanket.  With  them  thev  have  some  old  man,  for 
old  men  see  even  when  they  sleep,  and  watch  against 
sorcery. 

After  the  ceremonv  the  shaman  takes  each  runner 
aside  and  subjects  him  to  a  rigid  examination  in  regard 
to  his  recent  food  and  his  relations  with  women.  Fat,  po- 
tatoes, eggs,  and  anything  sweet  are  prohibited,  because 
all  these  things  make  the  men  heavy  ;  but  rabbits,  deer, 


288 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


rats,   turkeys,   and  chaparral-cocks   are  wholesome,   and 
such  nourishment  enables  them  to  win. 

An  augury  as  to  which  side  will  win  is  also  taken. 
Water  is  poured  into  a  large  wooden  tray,  and  the  two 
balls  are  started  simultaneously  and  rolled  throuirh  the 
water  over  the  tray.     The  party  whose  ball  first  reaches 


Making  W'agers  at  a  Foot-race. 

the  otiier  end  will  sureh'  win.    This  test  is  orone  throuafh 
as  many  times  as  there  are  to  be  circuits  in  the  race. 

A  race  is  nev^er  won  by  natural  means.  The  losers 
always  say  that  they  hav^e  been  bewitched  by  the  others. 
Once  I  was  taking  the  temperature  of  some  foot-runners 
before  they  started,  and  their  opponents,  seeing  this,  lost 
heart,  thmking  that  I  had  made  their  contestants  strong 


BUSY    STAKEHOLDERS  289 

to  win  the  race.  Often  one  of  the  principal  runners  be- 
comes disheartened,  and  may  simulate  illness  and  declare 
that  their  rivals  have  bewitched  him.  Then  the  whole 
affair  may  come  to  nothin^:  and  the  race  be  declared  off. 
There  are  stories  about  injurious  herbs  that  have  been 
given  in  pinole  or  water,  and  actually  made  some  racers 
sick.  It  may  even  happen  that  some  dishonest  fellow 
will  pay  to  the  best  runner  of  one  party  a  cow  if  he  lets 
the  other  party  win.  But,  as  a  rule,  everything  goes  on 
straightforwardly.  No  one  will,  however,  wonder  that 
there  are  six  watchmen  appointed  by  each  side  to  guard 
the  runners  from  any  possible  peradventure,  and  to  see 
tliat  everything  goes  on  in  a  proper,  formal  way.  Tipsy 
persons  are  not  admitted,  and  women  in  a  delicate  con- 
dition are  carefully  kept  away,  as  the  runners  become 
heavy  even  by  touching  such  a  woman's  blanket. 

On  the  day  of  the  race  the  forenoon  is  spent  in  mak- 
ing bets,  the  managers  acting  as  stakeholders.  These 
people,  poor  as  they  are,  wager  their  bows  and  arrows, 
girdles,  head-bands,  clothes,  blankets,  beads,  ari,  balls  of 
yarn,  corn,  and  even  sheep,  goats,  and  cattle.  The  stakes 
of  whatever  nature  are  tied  together — a  blanket  against 
so  many  balls  of  yarn,  a  stick  of  ari  against  so  many  ar- 
rows, etc.  At  big  races  the  wagers  may  amount  to  con- 
siderable heaps  of  such  articles,  and  the  position  of 
manager  requires  a  man  of  decision  and  memory,  for  he 
has  to  carry  all  the  bets  in  his  head  and  makes  no  writ- 
ten record  of  them.  The  total  value  of  the  wagers  may 
reach  a  thousand  dollars,  and  what  to  the  Indians  are  fort- 
unes may  change  hands  in  accordance  with  the  result  of 
the  race.  One  man  on  one  occasion  had  $50  worth  of 
property  at  stake. 

The  scene   is   one   of   great   animation.      As  many 
as  two    hundred    people    may    assemble,   among   them 
women  and  children.     At  the  gathering-point,  which  is 
Vol.  I. — 19 


290 


UNKNOWN  MEXICO 


called  in  Tarahumarc  "  the  betting-place,"  all  the  bets 
are  made,  and  here  the  race  is  started  and  concluded. 
Here  the  managers  also  place  a  row  of  stones,  one  stone 
for  each  circuit  to  be  run,  and  whenever  a  circuit  is  com- 
pleted one  stone  is  taken  away.  In  this  way  the  count 
is  kept.  The  runners  walk  about  wra[)pcd  in  their 
blankets  like  the  rest  of  the  people.  They  have  had 
nothing  to  eat  all  day  but  pinole  and  tepid  water,  and 
their  legs  have  been  rubbed  with  warm  water  in  the 
morning  bv  the  managers. 

When  finally  all  the  people  have  arranged  their 
stakes  the  gobernador  steps  forward  and  makes  a 
speech,  in  which  he  specially  exhorts  the  runners  not  to 
throw  the  ball  with  their  hands  ;  if  they  do,  they  cer- 
tainly will  go  to  hell  !  He  also  warns  them  against 
cheating  of  any  kind. 

At  a  given  signal,  quick  as  lightning,  the  runners 
throw  off  their   blankets,  and   one   man   in  each   party, 

p  r  e  V  i  o  u  s  1 V    selected, 
throws  his  ball  as  far 
as  he  can,  and  all  the 
runners  start   after  it. 
A  second  ball  is  always 
kept  in  reserve,  in  case 
the  first  should  be  lost. 
The  racers  wear  rat- 
tles of  deer-hoofs  and 
.^bits   of   reeds   tietl    to- 
gether   on    a    strij)    of 
leather,      which      they 
stick    in    the    backs  of 
their  girdle  or  hang  over  their  backs.     The  magic 
rattling  keeps  them  from  falling  asleep  while  run- 
ning, so  they  say  ;  besides,  the  deer-hoofs  lend  them  the 
swiftness  of  the  stag.      Some  runners  adorn  themselves 


Part  of  'I'arahumarc  Rattling  Belt. 


LONG-DISTANCE    RUNNING 


291 


with  feathers  from  various  birds,  preferably  the  macaw 
and  the  peacock,  tying^  them  to  short  sticks.  The  few 
Tarahumares  wlio  have  ever  seen  a  j)eacock  think  a 
o["Ood    (leal   of  this  bird,   because  it  is  considered   lioht- 


Tarahumare  foot-runners,  Photographed  After  the  Race. 

footed  and  mystic,  being  foreign  to  their  country.  Some 
runners  may  be  seen  who  paint  their  faces  and  legs 
with  white  chalk,  near  Batopilas,  for  instance. 

They  do  not  run  at  an  extraordinary  speed,  but  very 
steadily,  hour  after  hour,  mile  after  mile.  Good  runners 
make  forty  miles  in  six  or  eiu:ht  hours.     At  one  race, 


292  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

when  they  covered  according  to  calculation  twenty-one 
miles  in  two  hours,  I  timed  the  leading  runner  and 
found  that  he  made  290  feet  in  nineteen  seconds  on 
the  first  circuit,  and  on  the  next  in  twenty-four  seconds. 
At  a  race  rehearsal  I  saw  them  cover  four  miles  in 
half  an  hour. 

The  public  follows  the  race  with  great  enthusiasm 
from  beginning  to  end,  the  interest  growing  with  each 
circuit.  Many  begin  to  follow  the  runners,  shouting  to 
them  and  urging  them  on.  They  also  help  them  by 
pointing  out  the  ball  so  that  they  can  kick  it  without 
stopping  to  look  for  it.  The  wives  of  the  contestants 
heat  water  and  prepare  pinole,  which  they  hold  out  in 
drinking-gourds  to  the  men  as  they  pass.  The  latter  stop 
for  a  few  seconds  to  partake  of  this  their  favourite  dish  ; 
and  if  this  cannot  be  done,  the  tepid  water  is  thrown 
over  the  shoulders  of  the  runners,  by  way  of  refreshing 
them.  As  darkness  comes  on,  torches  of  resinous  pine 
wood  are  lighted  and  carried  along  to  illuminate  the 
path  for  the  runners,  that  they  may  not  stumble,  making 
the  scene  one  of  extreme  picturesqueness,  as  these  torch- 
bearers,  demon-like,  hurry  through  the  forest. 

One  contestant  after  another  drops  out.  The 
excitement  becomes  wilder  ;  more  and  more  people 
join  in  accompanying  the  few  runners  left,  their  princi- 
pal motive  being  to  shout  encouraging  words  to  the 
runners  and  urge  them  to  exert  themselves  to  the  ut- 
most. And  at  last  the  best  man  comes  in,  generally 
alone,  the  others  having  either  given  up  the  contest  or 
being  far  behind. 

The  race  usually  commences  at  midday  ;  but  often 
the  bets  are  not  finished  until  late  in  the  afternoon.  It 
may  last  four  hours  and  even  longer.  A  famous  run- 
ner, now  dead,  could  run  from  mid-day  until  sunrise. 
There  is  no    prize   for  the  winner  himself,   except    the 


WOMEN'S   SPOKIS 


293 


golden  opinions  he  earns  amono-  the  women  ;  and  his 
father  may  aceept  presents  from  luek\-  bettors.  A  man 
who  wins  a  cow  is  expected  to  give  two  pesos  to  the 


J 


Tarahumare  Women  Crossing  a  Stream  in  Their  Race. 

victorious  runner;  in  case  he  wins  a  goat  he  gives  half 
a  real. 

The  race  over,  the  wagers  are  immediately  paid  and 
the  Indians  quickly  disperse,  soon  to  arrange  for  an- 
other contest. 

Sometimes  there  is  an  old  man's  race  preceding  that 
of  the  young  men,  the  latter  being  always  the  principal 
event  of  the  day.      Races  are  also  run  by  women,  and 


294 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


the  betting  and  excitement  that  prevail  on 
sions  run  as  high  as  at  the  men's  races, 
though  on  a  smaller  scale. 
Instead  of  tossing  the  ball 
with  their  toes,  they  use  a 
large  wooden  fork,  with  two 
or  three  })rongs,  to  pitch  it 
forward.  Sometimes  they 
have  a  ring  of  twisted  strips 
of  vucca  leaves  instead  of 
the  ball,  but  more  often  two 
interlocked  rings  which  they 
throw  ahead  with  a  stick 
curved  at  the  end.  This 
game,  which  is  called  rowe- 
mala  (rowe  signifies  a  ring), 
must  be  very  ancient,  for 
rings  of  this  kind  have  some- 
times been  found  in  ancient 
cliff-dwellings.  It  is  certain- 
ly a  strange  sight  to  see  these 
sturdy  amazons  race  heavily 
along  with  astonishing  perseverance,  when 
creeks  and  water-holes  come  in  their  way, 
simply  lifting  their  skirts  a  la  Diane  and  m 
work  of  the  crossing. 


these  occa- 


Fork  and  Wood- 
en Ball  Used  in 
Women's  Game. 
Length  of  Fork, 
69  ctm.;  diameter 
of  Ball,  6.5   ctm. 


Stick  and 
Ring  Used 
in  Women's 
Game.  Length 
of  Stick,  85 
ctm. ;  diameter 
of  Ring,  1 1 
ctm. 


aking  short 


CHAPTER    XVI 

RELIGION — MOTHER     MOON    BECOMES    THE    VIRGIN    MARY — MYTHS 

THE  CREATION — THE  DELUGE — FOLK-LORE — THE  CROw's  STORY 
TO  THE    PARROT — BROTHER  COYOTE BELIEFS  ABOUT  ANIMALS. 

THE  pagans  or  gentiles  in  the  barrancas  say  that 
they  have  two  gods,  but  no  devil.  These  gods 
are  Father  Sun  (Nonoriigami)  and  Mother  Moon 
(Verugami).  The  Sun  guards  the  men  in  the  day- 
time ;  therefore  the  Tarahumares  do  not  transact  busi- 
ness after  sunset.  He  also  makes  the  animals  sleep. 
The  Moon  watches  at  night,  and  is  the  special  deity  of 
the  women.  In  her  nightly  vigils  she  is  assisted  by  her 
son,  the  Morning  Star,  who  commands  all  the  other 
stars,  because  they  are  his  sons  and  they  are  Tarahu- 
mares. The  Stars  advise  their  brothers  on  earth  when 
thieves  are  entering  their  houses.  When  the  Tarahu- 
mares affirm  anything  solemnly,  they  say,  "  By  those 
above  !  "  meaning  the  Sun,  Moon,  and  the  Stars. 

But  the  greater  part  of  the  Tarahumares  are  nomi- 
nally Christians,  though  all  that  they  know  of  Christian- 
ity are  the  words  Seiior  Saji  Jose  and  Maria  Santis- 
sima.  Moreover,  they  have  adopted  the  words  Tata 
(Father)  Dios  (God)  for  their  Father  Sun  ;  and  the 
Virgin  Mary  becomes  with  them  a  substitute  for 
Mother  Moon,  and  in  natural  sequence  the  wife  of 
Tata  Dios.  They  celebrate  in  their  own  peculiar  way 
all  the  Christian  feasts  they  know,  with  as  much  pleas- 
ure and  as  elaborately  as  their  own  native  ceremonies. 

295 


296  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Next  in  importance  is  the  Devil,  whom  they  fear 
even  more  than  their  own  sorcerers.  He  is  always  rep- 
resented with  a  big  heard,  such  as  the  Mexicans  wear. 
He  is  old  and  has  only  one  eye,  and  the  shamans  have 
seen  him  often.  He  plays  the  guitar,  but  never  the 
violin,  because  the  bow  and  the  strings  form  a  cross. 
He  would  like  very  much  to  go  to  heaxen,  and  the 
shamans  have  to  work  hard  to  keeji  him  from  doing  so. 
There  is  also  a  female  devil,  his  wife,  who  bears  many 
children,  always  twins,  who  are  the  original  Mexi- 
cans. 

Their  paradise  consists  in  big  ranches,  where  they 
will  oret  all  the  animals  which  in  this  life  thev  sacrificed 
to  Tata  Dios.  The  occupation  of  Tata  Dios  in  heaven 
is  to  run  foot-races  with  the  angels,  while  the  Devil  vies 
with  the  sorcerers  in  making  the  lives  of  the  Tarahumares 
uncomfortable,  he  being  the  chief  sorcerer  of  all. 

The  Tarahumares  are  the  sons  of  God,  and  the 
Mexicans  the  sons  of  the  Devil.  For  this  reason  the 
Tarahumares  say  that  it  is  no  crime  to  eat  the  cows  of 
the  Mexicans;  they  think  the  cows  do  not  really  belong 
to  the  Shabotshi  anyway.  Neither  do  they  tell  when  a 
Tarahumare  steals  anything  from  a  Mexican,  while  they 
are  very  quick  to  find  out  if  one  Tarahumare  steals  from 
another. 

I  give  here  some  of  the  myths  and  traditions  of  the 
tribe.  Those  which  Christian  ideas  have  entered  into 
will  easily  be  recognised,  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  draw 
special  attention  to  them. 

CRKATION    IMVTIIS 

In  the  begmning  there  were  many  worlds  before 
this,  but  one  after  the  other  came  to  an  end.  Just  be- 
fore the  world  was  destroyed  for  the  last  time,  all  the 
rivers  flowed  toward  the  place  where  the  sun  rises.     But 


SUN    AND    MOON    MYTHS  297 

now  the   waters  also  flow  toward  the  other  side,  where 
the  sun  sets.* 

The  bears  put  the  world  into  shape.  Before  their 
time  it  was  nothing  but  a  waste  of  sand. 

In    ancient    times    there    were    plenty   of    lagoons    V 
around   Guachochic  ;    but    the    land   was  put    in    order, 
when  the  people  came  and  began  to  dance  yumari. 

The  rocks  were  at  first  soft  and  small  ;  l)ut  they 
grew  until  they  became  large  and  hard.  They  have  life 
inside. 

The  people  grew  up  from  the  soil,  while  the  earth 
was  as  level  as  a  field  ready  for  sowing.  Hut  in  those 
days  they  lived  to  be  only  one  year  old,  and  then  they 
died  like  the  flowers. 

According  to  another  tradition  they  descended  from 
heaven  with  corn  and  potatoes  in  their  ears,  and  were 
led  by  Tata  Dios  into  these  mountains,  the  middle  of 
the  world,  having  originally  come  from  the  north-east  or 
east. 

THE    SUN    AND    THE    MOON    IN    THE    BEGINNING    OF    THE 

WORLD 

In  the  beginning  the  Sun  and  the  Moon  were  alone, 
and  they  were  children.  They  wore  dresses  made  of 
palm-leaves,  and  they  lived  in  a  house  thatched  with 
palm-leaves.  They  had  neither  cattle  nor  sheep.  Both 
the  Sun  and  the  Moon  were  dark,  and  the  Morning  Star 
was  the  only  one  that  shed  any  light  on  the  earth.  The 
Moon  was  eating  lice  from  the  hair  of  the  Sun,  and  the 
Morning  Star  was  watching  at  night.  There  were  600 
Tarahumares  at  that  time,  and  they  were  much  ham- 
pered by  the  darkness.  They  could  not  do  their  work, 
and  they  had  to  hold  each  other's  hands,  and  they  were 

*  The   Rio   Fuerte,    the  only  large   water-course  in  the   Tarahumare  country, 
empties  into  the  Pacific  Ocean. 


298  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

stumbling  all  the  time.  Then  they  cured  the  Sun  and 
the  Moon  by  dipping  small  crosses  into  t»esvino,  and 
touching  the  Sun  and  the  Moon  on  the  chest,  on  the 
head,  and  on  the  back.  Then  the  Sun  and  the  Moon 
began  to  shine  and  to  shed  light. 

STAR    LECIEXD 

A  man  lived  with  three  women.  He  was  making 
arrows  while  they  went  to  look  for  squirrels  and  wood- 
chucks,  and  when  they  could  hnd  none  they  killed  their 
father.  Then  they  said  :"  It  is  of  no  use  to  stop  here 
any  longer.  Let  us  go  away."  When  the  man  saw 
them  running  away  he  shot  arrows  after  them.  The 
women  were  ascending  to  heaven,  holding  each  other's 
hands,  and  he  transfixed  them  to  the  sky,  where  they  can 
still  be  seen  just  as  they  rose,  as  three  bright  stars  in  the 
belt  of  Orion.  The  three  women  remained  in  heaven, 
but  the  man  remained  in  the  world  and  was  changed  into 
a  coyote. 

DELUGE    LEGENDS 

When  the  world  became  full  of  water,  a  little  girl 
and  a  little  boy  climbed  uj)  on  a  mountain,  called  La- 
vachi  (gourd),  which  is  south  of  Panalachic,  and  when 
the  waters  subsided  they  came  down  again.  They 
brought  three  grains  of  corn  and  three  beans  with  them. 
The  rocks  were  soft  after  the  Hood,  and  the  footprints  of 
the  little  boy  and  the  little  girl  may  still  be  seen.  They 
planted  the  corn  and  went  to  sleep  and  had  a  dream 
that  night ;  then  they  harvested,  and  all  the  Tarahuma- 
res  are  descended  from  them. 

The  Tarahumares  were  fighting  among  themselves, 
and  Tata  Dios  sent  much  rain,  and  all  the  people  per- 
ished. After  the  flood  he  sent  three  men  and  three 
women  to  j)e()ple  the  earth.     They  planted  corn  at  once. 


lATA    DIOS   AND   THE   DE\  IL  299 

bringing  three  kinds,  the  same  varieties  still  found  here 
■ — soft  corn,  hard  corn,  and  yellow  corn. 

GIANTS 

On  the  heights  once  lived  giants.  They  were  as  big 
as  pine-trees  and  had  heads  as  big  as  bowlders.  They 
taught  the  Tarahumares  how  to  plant  corn,  by  cutting 
down  trees  and  burning  them,  but  they  ate  children. 

A  woman  bore  a  giant  in  a  cave,  which  was  situated 
very  high  up  on  the  side  of  a  valley.  She  died,  be- 
cause the  child  was  so  large,  and  he  was  taken  care 
of  by  his  grandmother.  Once  when  she  was  asleep,  she 
turned  over  and  crushed  him. 

From  Wasivori  (near  Cusarare)  came  giants  to  Na- 
rarachic  to  ask  alms.  Tesvino  they  liked  very  much. 
They  worked  very  fast,  and  the  Tarahumares  put  them 
to  hoe  and  weed  the  corn,  and  gave  them  food  and 
tesvino.  But  the  giants  were  fierce,  and  ravished  the 
women  while  the  latter  were  under  the  influence  of  the 
Moon  ;  therefore  the  Tarahumares  got  very  angry  and 
they  mixed  a  decoction  made  from  the  chilicote-tree 
with  the  corn  that  they  gave  the  giants  to  eat,  and  the 
giants  died. 

TATA      DIGS     AND      THE      DEVIL THE      SHEEP      AND      THE 

DEER — WnV    THE    COCKS    CROW    IN    THE    MORNING  * 

Tata  Dios  came  down  into  the  world,  and  he  had  in 
his  house  many  large  jars  filled  with  strong  tesvino.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  river  Huerachic,  in  the  big  arroyos, 
lived  the  Devil.  He  was  very  poor,  and  he  had  only 
one  small  jar  with  tesvino,  and  that  was  bad.  The  Devil 
and  his  brother  invited  Tata  Dios  to  come  and  drink 
tesvino  with  them.     Tata  Dios  went  to  the  Devil's  house, 

*  As  related  by  an  old  "Christian  "  Tarahumare  woman  in  Huerachic,  on  the 
npper  Rio  Fuerte. 


300 


UNKNOWN    iMEXICO 


and  they  gave  him  the  jar  and  the  drinking-gourd,  and 
he  sat  down  to  drink  ;  hut  he  did  not  get  intoxieated 
because  there  was  not  enougli  tesvino.  When  he  had 
emptied  the  jar,  Tata  Dios  said  :  "  Now  we  will  go  to 
my  house  and  drink  tesvino;  I  have  some,  too."  They 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  all  went  away  together, 
and  Tata  Dios  gave  them  a  large  jar  full  of  tesvino  and 
the  drinking-gourd.  They  drank  much,  and  the  Devil 
and  his  brother  sang  like  the  Mexicans,  until  lhe\'  la\- 
down  on  the  ground  com|)letely  overcome.  Later  in 
the  night  the  Devil  rose,  and  he  went  to  the  wife  of  Tata 
Dios.  And  when  she  awoke,  she  was  very  angry,  and 
roused  her  husband,  and  he  fought  with  the  Devil,  until 
Tata  Dios  got  killed.  But  after  a  while  he  rose  and 
said  to  the  Devil,  "  Now  go  away,  go  below."  "  I  am 
going  home  to  get  my  weapons,"  said  the  Devil.  But 
first  he  went  into  the  house  of  Tata  Dios  and  robbed 
him  of  his  money,  and  [noticing  the  reporter's  book  | 
of  his  books  and  everything.  He  hid  all  the  things  in 
his  house  and  Tata  Dios  came  to  look  for  them.  Tata 
Dios  again  was  very  angry,  and  they  fought  until  he 
was  killed.  But  this  time,  too,  he  rose  and  said  to  the 
Devil,  "Go  below,"  and  the  Devil  went  below  and  re- 
mained there,  and  Tata  Dios  went  home. 

One  day  at  dawn  the  people  saw  the  lands  full  with 
sheep  everywhere.  On  a  Hat  stone  Tata  Dios  drew 
figures  like  the  tracks  of  the  deer,  and  from  them  all  the 
deer  originated. 

When  Tata  Dios  returned  to  heaven,  he  carried  in 
his  right  hand  a  rooster,  which  he  ))laced  on  top  of  a 
palm-tree.  The  cock  crowed  three  times  while  Tata 
Dios  ascended  to  heaven.  After  this,  whenever  the 
sun  rises  in  the  morning,  the  cocks  on  earth  respond 
when  thev  hear  the  cocks  in  heaven  crow. 


MYTHICAL   GIANTS  301 

After  Tata  Dios  had  gone  to  heaven  he  never  came 
back.  He  is  angry  with  the  Tarahumares,  and  he  wants 
to  destroy  the  world,  hut  the  Virgin  says  :  "  Let  the 
peo})le  alone;  I  pity  the  family  we  left  behind."  This 
is  the  reason  whv  the  world  stands. 

When  Tata  Dios  went  away,  he  said,  "  I  will  leave 
two  crosses  here."  He  then  put  up  a  cross  where  the 
sun  sets  at  the  end  of  the  world,  and  another  where  the 
sun  rises.  The  cross  in  the  east  he  uses  when  he  rises 
to  heaven  and  when  he  comes  to  visit  the  Tara- 
humares, and  the  cross  in  the  west  is  for  the  Tarahu- 
mares when  they  die  and  go  to  heaven.  Between 
these  two  crosses  the  Tarahumares  live.  They  would 
like  to  go  to  the  crosses  and  worship  before  them,  but 
they  are  prevented  from  doing  so  by  large  bodies  of 
water.  They  therefore  set  up  small  crosses  in  front  of  y 
their  houses,  and  before  them  they  hold  their  dances, 
and  God  comes  to  eat  near  these  crosses.  He  only 
eats  the  soul  or  substance  of  the  food,  and  leaves  the 
rest  for  the  people. 

THE    GIANTS,    THE    CROW,    AND    THE    BLACKBIRD 

The  Crow,  who  is  very  knowing,  told  the  following 
story  to  the  Parrot,  who  told  it  to  the  pagans: 

The  Blackbird  and  the  Crow,  long,  long  ago,  saw  a 
contest  between  two  giants,  who  made  a  bet  as  to 
which  of  them  could  throw  a  stone  farthest.  The 
stakes  were  four  deer.  One  giant,  called  Goli,  carried 
a  bird  in  his  hand  and  threw  it  instead  of  the  stone  ;  so 
he  won  ;  then  he  returned  to  where  the  Blackbird  and 
the  Crow  were  standing.  Tiie  Blackbird  said  to  the 
Crow,  "They  will  not  do  us  any  harm  until  they  stoop 
to  pick  up  a  stone."  But  the  Crow  replied,  "  Maybe 
they  bring   the    stone   in   their   hands."     So   they   flew 


302  UNKNOWN    xMEXlCO 

away,  and  while  they  were  ll\in<j;  the  Crow  said,  "  I  am 
SToinii  to  the  mountain  to  look  for  mv  wife  and  mv  son. 
Thev  went  awav  and  have  been  lost  for  six  days." 

tup:  deer,   the  toad,   and  the  crow 

The  Crow  set  out  for  the  mountain,  where  the  Deer 
and  tiie  Toad  were  making  a  bet.  "  Let  us  trv,"  they 
said,  "who  can  see  the  sun  hrst  in  the  morning."  The 
stakes  were  twenty-five  Gadllies,  and  they  asked  the 
Crow  to  be  a  witness  to  the  contest.  In  the  morning 
thev  were  ready  to  watch  for  the  sun.  The  Toad  was 
looking:  westward  from  the  highest  mountain,  but  the 
Deer  looked  to  the  east.  The  Toad  said,  "  Look  here, 
Brother  Crow,  I  have  already  seen  the  sun  starting,"  and 
the  Crow  said  to  the  Deer  :  "  Brother  Deer,  you  have 
lost.  Give  him  the  twenty-five  Gadflies."  The  Deer 
asked  one  day's  time  to  catch  the  Gadflies,  but  the  Toad 
thought  he  was  not  going  to  pay  him,  and  said  to  the 
Deer,  "  Let  us  have  a  race,  that  you  may  settle  your 
bet."  The  Deer  readily  consented  to  this,  and  a  stone 
was  put  up  as  the  goal.  The  Toad  went  away  to  call 
many  other  toads,  and  placed  them  at  intervals  toward 
the  goal,  and  when  the  Deer  arrived  at  the  stone  the 
Toad  was  already  sitting  on  it,  and  said,  "  Brother  Deer, 
you  have  lost."     And  the  Deer  went  away. 

Then  the  Toad  said  to  the  Gadflies  :  "  Go  and  sting 
the  Deer  much,  that  he  may  have  to  run  quickly.  If  you 
will  sting  him  much,  I  will  never  eat  you."  The  Gadflies 
were  vexed  with  the  Deer,  because  he  had  \n\t  them  up 
on  a  bet,  therefore  they  were  very  wUling  to  sting  the 
Deer,  and  thev  have  been  stinging  him  ever  since. 

STOKV    OE    THE    CO VOTE 

The  Coyote  asked  permission  from  Tata  Dios  to 
come  into  the  world,  and   Tata    Dios  asked  him  what  he 


ANIMAL   MYTHS 


303 


would  do  there.    The  Coyote  replied  that  he  would  steal 
the  animals  and  the  corn  from  the  Tarahu mares.     Then 


The  Covote,   CV 


latr 


Tata  Dios  gave  him  permission  to  go  and  make  a  living 
in  this  way,  because  the  Coyote  did  not  know  how  to 
work. 


THE    MOUNTAIN    LION,   THE    COYOTE,   AND    THE    GREY    FOX 

The  Coyote  challenged  the  Mountain  Lion  to  a  eon- 
test,  that  they  might  see  which  of  them  had  the  better 
eyesight  and  was  the  smarter.  The  Lion  said,  "  Let  us 
see  who  can  first  shoot  an  animal."  Then  he  proposed 
that  they  should  go  to  a  water-hole,  and  to  this  the  Coyote 
agreed ;  so  they  started  out  on  the  hunt.  The  Lion 
climbed  up  on  a  tree,  but  the  Coyote  remained  below  on 
the  ground,  and  paid  no  attention  to  what  the  Lion  was 
doing.  A  deer  came,  and  the  Lion  struck  it  dead. 
The  Coyote  saw  this  from  where  he  was  hunting,  and 
by  and  by  he  found  a  dead  mare.      When  thev  met  again 


304  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

the  Lion  said  to  the  Coyote,  "  Well,  how  did  you  get 
on?"  The  Coyote  replied:  "  \"'ery  well;  I  killed  a 
mare."  Hut  tlie  mare  had  been  dead  so  long  that  she 
was  smelling.  Therefore  tlie  Lion  said  to  the  Coyote, 
"  Don't  be  a  liar,"  and  he  chased  him  off,  and  the  Coyote 
was  ashamed  of  liimself. 

The  Coyote  next  met  the  Grey  Fox.  and  told  him  to 
QO  and  challeno^e  the  Lion.  The  Grev  Fox  went  to  the 
Lion  and  said  :  "  How  do  you  do.  Brother  Lion?  I  hear 
you  got  the  best  of  Brother  Coyote."  The  Lion  replied  : 
"  No,  Brother  Grey  Fox  ;  the  Coyote  made  a  fool  of 
himself."  Then  the  Grey  Fox  said  :  "  Let  us  see  wheth- 
er you  can  get  the  best  of  me,  and  which  of  us  can  catch 
a  rabbit  first."  So  they  went  to  the  mountain  to  look 
for  rabbits.  At  sunrise  the  Lion  took  a  position  facing 
the  north,  and  the  Grey  Fox  faced  south,  and  both  of 
them  watched  for  rabbits.  After  spying  for  a  while,  the 
Lion  saw  one,  but  by  that  time  the  Grey  Fox  was  asleep 
alongside  of  him.  So  the  Lion  said  to  the  rabbit:  "  Pass 
right  between  us,  and  then  go  to  the  hole  in  the  oak-tree 
on  the  rock,  and  act  as  if  you  wanted  to  go  into  the  hole, 
but  go  away  to  one  side,"  Then  the  Lion  woke  up 
the  Grey  Fox  and  said  :  "  Over  there  is  a  rabbit.  He 
went  into  a  small  hole  into  which  I  cannot  follow  him  ; 
but  you  are  small,  and  \ou  can  catch  him."  The  Grey 
Fox  just  saw  the  ral)bit's  tail  disapj)earing  behind  the 
rock,  but  the  rabbit  hid  himself,  and  did  not  enter  the 
hole,  as  the  Lion  had  told  him.  "  All  right,"  said  the 
Grey  I'^ox,  "  1  will  go;  but,  as  vou  saw  the  rabbit  first, 
you  have  won  the  bet."  But  the  Lion  said  :  "No  ;  you 
go  into  the  hole,  and  fetch  the  rabbit  out  and  eat  him." 
Then  the  Grey  Fox  entered  the  hole,  and  the  Lion  made 
a  fire  in  front  of  it,  and  when  the  Grev  Fox  came  out 
again  he  was  bunud,  and  his  feet  were  sore  from  the  fire. 
That    is    why    the  Grev   bOx    alwavs   walks   so    lightly. 


THE   GREY    FOX  305 

And  he  reproached  tlic  Lion,  savins:  ihat  he  was  very- 
bad,  and  bci^.i^ed  hini  to  lei  liim  gt)  and  not  to  kill  him. 
He  cried  and  went  to  hide  himself  in  a  cave,  because  he 
was  afraid  of  the  Lion.  Then  the  liumming-bird  who 
lived  in  the  cave  stung  him  in  the  face  with  his  bill  and 
in  the  eyes,  and  he  went  away  and  never  came  back 
again. 

THE    IIKNS,    THE    OKEV     FOX,     AND    THE    COYOTE 

The  Woodpecker  made  a  guitar  and  gave  it  to  the 
Butterfly  to  play  on,  and  the  Cock  danced  a  pascual, 
and  the  Cricket  danced  with  the  Locust,  and  the  lien 
was  singing.  While  the  dance  was  going  on,  the  Coy- 
ote came  to  see  what  he  could  get  from  the  feast, 
and  the  Grey  Fox  also  came,  and  he  brought  some 
tunas  (fruit  of  the  nopal  cactus).  They  were  very  nice 
and  sweet,  and  he  gave  one  to  the  Coyote  and  said, 
"  Here,  Brother  Coyote,  take  this  nice  mouthful."  He 
had  well  rubbed  off  the  spines,  and  the  fruit  tasted  well 
to  the  Coyote.  It  made  his  heart  glad,  and  he  wanted 
more.  The  Grey  Fox  said  to  the  Covote,  "  1  will  give 
you  more  tunas,  but  you  must  eat  them  with  your  eyes 
shut."  He  gave  him  some  tunas  from  which  he  had 
not  cleaned  off  the  spines,  and  as  the  spines  hurt  the 
Coyote  he  became  very  angry  and  wanted  to  eat  the 
Grey  Fox.  But  the  Fox  said  to  him  :  "  Don't  be  an- 
gry. Brother  Coyote  :  1  will  give  you  a  drink  ;  and  don't 
howl,  because  there  are  dogs  around."  He  went  to  the 
Cock  and  to  the  Hen,  and  asked  them  for  tesvmo,  and 
he  brought  it  to  the  Coyote  and  said,  "  Here,  Brother 
Coyote,  drink  this."  The  Coyote  drank  two  gourdsful, 
and  then  a  third  one,  and  when  he  had  finished  this  he  / 
began  to  howl,  because  he  was  very  drunk,  and  he 
asked  the  Grey  Fox,  "Why  are  they  all  dancing?" 
The    Grey  Fox    replied:    "They    dance,   because    Miss 

Vol.  I. — 20 


3o6  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Cricket  married  Mister  Locust  ;  therefore  the  Butterfly 
is  playino;  on  the  guitar,  and  tlie  Cock  dances  with  de- 
light, and  tlie  Hen  is  singing."  iUit  the  Coyote  said  : 
"I  don't  want  the  lien  to  sing;  I  want  to  eat  her." 
Then  the  Grey  Fox  took  the  Coyote  into  the  arroyo  and 
told  him  to  remain  tiiere,  while  he  went  to  fetch  the 
Hen.  But  instead  of  the  Hen  lie  got  two  very  fierce 
dogs  and  i)Ut  them  in  a  bag,  and  carried  them  into  the 
arroyo,  where  the  Coyote  was  waiting.  He  was  very 
drunk  and  very  angry,  and  he  said  to  the  Grey  Fox, 
"  Why  did  you  keep  me  waiting  so  long,  vou  cursed 
old  Grey  Fox!"  The  Grey  Fox  replied:  "Don't  be 
angry,  Brother  Coyote  ;  here  I  bring  you  some  very  nice 
Hens.  I  was  looking  for  many  of  them,  that  is  why  I 
remained  away  so  long.  Now,  shall  1  let  them  out  one 
by  one,  or  do  you  want  them  all  at  once?"  The  Coy- 
ote replied,  "  Let  them  out  all  at  once,  that  1  may  haye  a 
good  old  time  with  them."  Then  the  Grey  Fox  opened 
the  bag,  and  out  came  the  two  fierce  dogs  ;  and  they 
caught  the  Coyote  and  bit  him  and  tore  him  to  pieces. 
The  Grey  Fox  ran  away  and  hid  himself,  but  afterward 
he  came  and  got  the  paws  of  the  Coyote  and  threw  them 
into  a  water-pool. 

TME    MOUXTAIX    LION    AXD     IIIK     I'.KAK 

The  Mountain  Lion  killed  a  deer,  and  the  Bear 
wanted  to  take  it  away  from  him.  The\'  fought,  and  the 
Lion  won,  and  the  Bear  asked  his  pardon,  because  the 
Lion  is  more  powerful  than  the  Bear. 

TM1-:     FROG    AXD    TIIK    COVOTE 

The  Frog  and  the  Coyote  made  a  wager  as  to  which 
of  them  would  gain  in  a  foot-race.  They  were  to  run 
along  a  ridge,  and  return  to  a  point  close  by  the  start- 
ing-point.    The  Coyote  lost,  because  the  Frog  jumped 


BEAKS    AS    SOKCEKEKS  307 

directly  over  to  the  finishinfr-point.  This  happened 
twice,  and  the  Coyote  wanted  to  kill  the  Frog,  but  the 
Frog  dived  into  a  water-hole,  where  the  Coyote  could 
not  catch  him. 

The  Bears,  whose  skin  is  of  the  same  color  as  the 
Tarahumares,  are  called  "  grandfathers,"  umuli,  and  are 
so  to  speak  their  forebears.  In  ancient  times  they 
danced  on  top  of  the  mountains,  where  they  have  roads 
yet. 

Often  the  bears  are  sorcerers,  who,  after  death,  as- 
sumed the  shape  of  these  animals.  In  fact,  there  are 
two  kinds  of  bears,  one  that  is  real,  and  another  one 
that  is  a  dead  Tarahumare.  The  people  do  not  know 
which  is  which.  Only  the  shamans  can  make  the  dis- 
tinction, and  it  is  useless  to  try  and  kill  the  man-bear, 
because  he  has  a  very  hard  skin,  and  arrows  cannot  pierce 
it.      He  is  the  very  devil. 

The  following  curious  incident  happened  near  Nara- 
rachic  a  few  years  ago  :  A  bear  had  done  much  damage 
to  a  Tarahumare's  corn-field.  Some  forty  Indians  with 
over  fifty  dogs  gathered  together  to  kill  the  bear.  In 
order  to  make  the  dogs  ferocious,  the  Indians  set  them 
to  fight  among  each  other,  by  way  of  preparing  them 
for  the  hunt.  The  Indians  now  divided  themselves  into 
several  parties,  and  presently  one  lot  encountered  the 
bear.  They  asked  the  shaman  who  was  with  them 
whether  the  creature  was  a  bear  or  something  else,  and 
he  replied,  "Let  the  dogs  on  and  see."  As  the  dogs 
had  never  seen  a  bear,  they  were  timid,  and  did  not 
bark  or  attack  the  beast ;  therefore  the  shaman  said  : 
"This  is  not  a  bear.  All  is  lost.  The  dogs  do  not 
know  him,  and  the  bear  does  not  see  the  dogs  with  his 
eyes.  He  is  from  hell,  and  he  is  a  devil,  who  came 
here  in  the  shape  of  a  bear,  because  he  wants  to  eat  us. 


3o8  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

Let  him  alone  and  let  us  all  go  away."     And  they  all 
retreated. 

The  mountain  lion  is  a  good  animal  and  watches 
over  the  people.  When  he  sees  an  animal  such  as  the 
hear  or  the  covote  approach  a  man,  he  roars  to  warn 
the  man  ;  and  if  the  man  i:>ays  no  attention,  the  lion 
attacks  the  animal  to  save  the  man  ;  therefore  strips  of 
his  skin  are  worn  around  the  ankles  and  the  neck  as  a 
protection. 

The  grey  fox  is  considered  an  astute  animal  and  is 
feared.  If  he  passes  by  a  house  in  which  there  is  a  sick 
person,  and  calls  three  times,  the  patient  will  die.  One 
of  my  Indian  men  related  the  following  story  :  One 
night  he  and  another  man  were  sleeping  in  a  house 
when  he  heard  the  grey  fox  whistle.  At  first  he  did 
not  know  what  it  was,  and  he  said  to  his  companion, 
"Listen,  what  is  that?"  The  other  one  said,  "This 
is  a  very  bad  thing,  very  ugly."  He  was  a  man  who 
knew  something,  and  he  said,  "If  this  grey  fox  returns 
for  two  nights  more  and  whistles  outside  of  the  house 
of  our  sick  neighbour,  tliat  man  will  die."  My  inform- 
ant did  not  believe  this  at  the  time  ;  but  the  next  night 
the  grey  fox  returned  and  whistled  very  uncannily,  and 
on  the  third  night  he  did  it  again.  And  on  the  follow- 
ing morning  a  man  came  and  asked  the  Indian  to  iielp 
him  to  i)urv  the  neighbour  who  had  died  during  the 
night.  They  went  to  the  house  of  tlie  dead  man,  and 
"then,"  the  narrator  concluded,  "1  knew  that  the  grey 
fox  had  said  tiie  truth,  for  tiie  grev  fox  never  tells  a 
lie." 
-^  The  grey  fox  and  the  rabbit    in  ancient  times  danced 

rutuburi. 

The  horned  toad  holds  the  world.  It  says:  "  Don't 
tread  on  me  I      1    am   the  colour  of  the  earth  and  1  hold 


SWIFTS    AS    WITCHES  309 

the  world  ;  therefore  walk  earefully,  that  you  do  not 
tread  on  me." 

The  master  of  the  deer  lives  inside  of  the  moun- 
tains, in  the  earth  ;  therefore  the  Tarahumares  place 
small  quantities  of  corn  and  beans,  or  three  arrows  in  a 
jar,  on  top  of  the  highest  mountain  to  buy  the  deer  from 
the  one  below. 

The  brown  ground  squirrel  (chipawiki),  which  lives 
among  rocks  and  seldom  ascends  trees,  is  thought  to  be- 
come a  serpent.  This  belief  is  also  current  among  cer- 
tain classes  of  Mexicans.  A  Mexican  told  me  that  a 
man  once  smashed  the  head  of  a  chipawiki  in  the  hollow 
of  a  tree,  and  when  he  wanted  to  take  his  game  out,  he 
found  that  the  rest  of  the  animal  had  the  body  of  a  ser- 
pent.     It  cannot  be  used  for  sacrifices. 

Rats  become  bats. 

The  owl  is  very  bad.  Whenever  it  comes  to  a  house 
and  screeches,  somebody  falls  ill.  If  it  calls  three  times, 
in  three  consecutive  nights,  the  sick  person  will  die. 
The  owl  is  also  very  smart.  It  knows  when  the  Tara- 
humare's  blanket  (in  which  he  is  wrapped  when  sleeping 
along  the  fire)  is  going  to  be  burned.  When  the  owl 
hoots  near  a  home  it  says,  "  Chu-i,  chu-i,  chu-i," — 
"  dead,  dead,  dead."     Owls  are  killed  but  not  eaten. 

The  goat  sucker  makes  darts  through  the  air  and 
calls  down  rain.  It  has  two  nice  fat  young,  which  the 
Tarahumares  consider  a  great  delicacy. 

The  crow  is  much  in  disfavour  because  it  eats  the 
corn.     Only  the  young  crows  are  eaten. 

The  large  swifts  (olamaka)  are  thought  to  be 
witches,  who  pierce  the  souls  of  people  and  eat  them. 
They  are  used  by  the  sorcerers,  whom  they  obey  like 
dogs.  Odte  a  woman  was  sitting  in  a  corn-field  watch- 
ing it  by  the  side  of  a  fire,  and  making  yarn,  when  a 
swift  settled  on   her  skirt.      She  told  a  girl  to  bring  a 


310  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

large  basket,  with  whicli  she  covered  tlie  bird  up,  caug-ht 
it  and  had  it  for  many  years.  Every  night  the  bird 
flew  away,  and  then  returned  in  the  morning.  Once, 
when  the  woman  was  absent  at  a  tesvino  feast,  the  girl 
killed  the  bird  and  roasted  it.  She  could  not  eat  it, 
however,  because  it  had  such  abaci  smell,  and  the  woman 
found  it  on  her  retuin  in  the  basket,  dead  and  roasted. 
The  girl  ran  away  and  the  raccoons  ate  the  corn  the 
woman  was  watching. 

The  giant  woodpecker  during  the  wet  season  rises 
high  up  toward  the  sun  ;  that  is  why  he  gets  his  tail 
burned. 

When  tiie  Tarahumares  handle  any  kind  of  fish  they 
take  care  not  to  touch  their  hair,  for  fear  that  it  may 
turn  grey  and  they  become  old. 

The  rattlesnakes  are  the  companions  of  the  sorcerers 
and  watch  to  meet  them  and  then  talk  with  them.  A 
Mexican  once  killed  a  rattlesnake,  and  the  Indian  grew 
very  angry  and  said  that  the  snake  had  protected  his 
house  ;  now  he  had  no  one  to  guard  it. 

Large  serpents,  which  only  the  shamans  can  see,  are 
thought  to  live  in  the  rivers.  They  have  horns  and 
very  big  eyes. 

The  dragon-fly  has  no  song  ;  it  flies  about  without 
making  a  noise. 

Tata  Dios  put  sheep  into  the  world  ;  they  are  good 
animals  because  they  give  wool  from  which  i)e()ple  can 
weave  blankets,  and  their  meat  is  good,  and  they  do  not 
weep  when  they  are  killed.  But  goats  were  put  into  the 
world  by  the  Devil  ;  their  hair  is  of  no  use,  their  meat  is 
bad,  and  they  howl  much  when  they  are  killed. 


CHAPTER    XVII 

THE      SHAMANS     OR      WISE       MEN      OF      THE      TRIBE — HEALERS      AND 

PRIESTS    IN    ONE DISEASE    CAUSED    BV    LOOKS    AND    THOUGHTS 

EVERYBODY    AND    EVERYTHING    HAS    TO    BE     CURED NOBODY 

FEELS    WELL    WITHOUT    HIS    "  DOCTOR  " SORCERY THE     POW- 
ERS OF  EVIL  ARE   AS    GREAT   AS    THOSE    OF    GOOD REMARKABLE 

CURE     FOR     SNAKE      BITE TREPANNING     AMONG    THE    ANCIENT 

TARAHUMARES. 

WITHOUT  his  shaman  the  Tarahumare  would 
feel  lost,  both  in  this  life  and  after  death.  The 
shaman  is  his  priest  and  physician.  He  performs  all 
the  ceremonies  and  conducts  all  the  dances  and  feasts 
by  which  the  gods  are  propitiated  and  evil  is  averted, 
doing  all  the  singing,  praying,  and  sacrificing.  Bv  this 
means,  and  by  instructing  the  people  what  to  do  to 
make  it  rain  and  secure  other  benefits,  he  maintains  srood 
terms  for  them  with  their  deities,  who  are  jealous  of  man 
and  bear  him  ill-will.  He  is  also  on  the  alert  to  keep 
those  under  his  care  from  sorcery,  illness,  and  other  evil 
that  may  befall  them.  Even  when  asleep  he  watches 
and  works  just  as  if  his  body  were  awake.  Though  real 
illness  is  the  exception  with  him,  the  Tarahumare 
believes  that  an  ounce  of  prevention  is  better  than  a 
pound  of  cure,  and  for  this  reason  he  keeps  his  doctor 
busy  curing  him,  not  only  to  make  his  body  strong  to 
resist  illness,  but  chiefly  to  ward  off  sorcery,  the  main 
source  of  trouble  in  the  Indian's  life.  The  demand  for 
shamans  is  therefore  great,  but  the  supply  is  quite  equal 
to  it.  For  instance,  in  the  little  village  of  Nararachic 
and  the  neighbouring  ranches,  where  there  are  about  i8o 

311 


312  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

households,  twenty-hve  shamans  are  living,  each  of 
whom  takes  care  of  about  twenty  souls,  though  only 
about  ten  of  them  enjoy  great  reputation  in  tiie  com- 
munity. 

Before  a  man  is  allowed  to  consider  himself  a 
shaman,  he  is  examined  by  a  "  board  "  of  recognised 
members  of  the  profession,  who  pass  upon  his  fitness  to 
enter  their  ranks. 

These  priest-doctors  have  their  specialties.  Some 
sing  only  at  rutuburi  or  yumari  dances,  others  only  at 
hikuli-feasts.  A  few  of  them  do  not  sing  at  all,  but  are 
merely  healers,  although  far  the  greater  number  also  sing 
at  the  feasts.  Those  who  make  a  specialty  of  the  hikuli 
cult  are  considered  the  greatest  healers.  They  all  con- 
scientiously fast  and  pray,  complying  with  the  demands 
of  the  gods,  which  impose  restrictions  and  abstinence,  and 
they  are  therefore  called  "righteous  men"  (owiriiami). 
They  are  the  wise  men  of  the  tribe  ;  and  as  rainmakers, 
healers,  and  keepers  of  the  heritage  of  tribal  wisdom 
and  traditions,  their  influence  is  powerful. 

Their  services  are  never  rendered  gratuitously  ;  in 
fact,  what  with  the  payments  they  receive  from  singing 
at  feasts  and  curing  the  sick,  they  generally  manage  to 
live  better  than  the  rest  of  the  people.  Whenever  a 
shaman  is  hungry,  he  goes  to  the  house  of  some  of  his 
well-to-do  clients  and  cures  the  family,  receiving  all  the 
food  he  wants  in  payment  for  his  efforts,  for  what  would 
become  of  the  people  if  the  shaman  should  die  ?  The 
Devil  would  surely  take  them  away  at  once.  Therefore 
the  best  parts  of  the  meat  from  the  animal  killed  for  the 
feast  is  given  to  the  shamans,  and  tiiey  generally  get  all 
the  tesvino  they  can  hold.  In  winter  time,  when  numer- 
ous feasts  are  being  held,  the  shamans  are  nearly  all  the 
time  under  the  influence  of  their  native  stimulants.  Yet 
this  does  not  Sfcm  to  harm  them,  nor  does  it  in  the  esti- 


HEALERS   AND    PRIESTS 


3'3 


mation  of  the  people  detract  from  the  efficacy  of  their 
singing  ;  the  curing  is  no  less  potent,  even  though  the 
doctor  can  hardly  keep  from  falling  all  over  his  patient. 
It  is  always  incumbent  on  the  shamans  to  be  peaceful, 
and  they  never  fight  at  the  feasts. 

The  singing  shamans  invariably  have  a  primitive 
musical  instrument,  the  rattle,  with  which  they  beat 
time  to  their  singing  and  dancing.     Ordinarily  it  is  made 


Tarahumare  Shaman's  Rattles.     Length  of  longest,  31.5  ctm. 

from  a  gourd  filled  with  pebbles  and  mounted  on  a 
short  stick  which  serves  as  a  handle.  Another  kind 
is  made  from  coarse  shavings  glued  together.  The  lat- 
ter variety  is  not  infrequently  decorated  with  daubs  of 
red  or  some  similar  painting.  Sometimes  at  the  feast 
the  shaman,  even  nowadays,  may  be  seen  wearing  a 
head-dress  made  of  the  plumes  of  birds.  Through  the 
plumes  the  birds  are  thought  to  impart  all  that  they 
know.  Besides,  the  plumes  are  supposed  to  keep  the 
wind  from  entering  the  shaman's  body,  and  thus  prevent 
him  from  falling  ill. 


314  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

When  curing,  tlic  shamans  may  sometimes  use 
rational  means.  There  is  in  existence  around  Noro- 
gachic  for  instance,  a  kind  of  sweating-bath,  made  In- 
placing  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  just  large  enough  for  a 
man  to  sit  in,  several  hot  stones,  pouring  water  on  them, 
and  covering  them  uj)  with  branches  of  the  fragrant 
mountain  cedar.  The  steam  passing  through  the  latter 
is  credited  with  curative  power. 

The  Indians  know  several  excellent  medicinal  herbs. 
Palo  amarillo  is  a  kind  of  household  remedy  used  exten- 
sively in  every  family.  There  are  many  other  highly 
valued  herbs  and  trees,  some  of  which  have  a  wonder- 
fully refreshing  and  invigorating  aromatic  scent.  Head- 
ache is  cured  by  a  green  herb  called  pachoco,  of  which 
they  smell  until  thev  begin  to  sneeze.  To  cure  consti- 
pation they  boil  ari  with  a  grain  of  salt,  or  thev  heat 
stones  and  pour  water  over  them  and  sit  over  the  steam. 

Both  the  sacred  little  cactus  called  hikuli  and  the 
maguey  have  undoubtedly  medicinal  properties,  but  the 
administration  of  these  remedies,  especially  of  the  former, 
is  connected  with  so  many  rites  and  ceremonies  that  their 
therapeutic  value  becomes  obscured.  The  curative  power 
of  tcsvino  is  absolutely  magical,  and  this  is  the  remedy  to 
which  recourse  is  most  commonly  had.  In  administer- 
ing it  the  shaman  makes  his  customary  })asses,  and  ex- 
hales over  the  patient  to  blow  away  the  disease.  lie 
also  dips  a  small  cross  into  the  liquor,  and  with  the 
wetted  end  tai)s  the  sick  man  on  the  head,  neck,  shoul- 
ders, and  back,  and  draws  crosses  over  his  arms.  Fi- 
nall\  tlic  j)atient  is  given  three  spoonfuls  of  the  liquor, 
while  all  the  members  of  the  family  stand  around  and 
murmur  apjorovinglv,  "Thank  you,  thank  you."  Occa- 
sionalh'  tesvino  is  exclusively  used  for  curing,  with  the 
aid  of  two  small  crosses,  one  of  red  Brazil  wood,  the 
other  of  white  pine.      If   he  chooses,  a  shaman  may  pro- 


CAUSES   OF    DISEASE  315 

vokc  illness  as  well  as  cure  it,  hut  he  cannot  cure  the 
person  he  made  ill. 

When  a  shanian  is  asked  to  cure  a  person  of  anv 
complaint,  real  or  imaginary,  his  lirst  move  is  to  find 
the  cause  of  the  trouble.  According-  to  his  opinion  ill- 
ness is  brought  on  either  by  the  wind  or  by  sorcery. 
From  the  former  kind  of  disease  nobody  dies,  althou2:h 
the  heart,  the  liver,  or  the  head  may  be  attacked  ;  but 
the  other  kind  is  serious.  Sorcerers  may  put  snakes  into 
the  legs,  and  such  animals  as  centipedes,  toads,  larvce, 
scorpions,  or  even  small  bears  into  the  body  of  some 
unfortunate  person,  and  these  disturbers  have  to  be 
drawn  out  at  once  or  else  they  will  eat  the  sick  man's 
heart.  The  shaman  therefore  first  feels  the  patient  all 
over,  to  find  if  something — in  other  words,  the  disease- 
bringing  animal — is  moving  underneath  the  skin.  Ill- 
ness may  also  result  from  small  stones,  or  the  spine  of 
the  nopal  placed  in  the  body  by  the  same  agency. 

A  person  suspected  of  having  been  bewitched  is  told 
to  hold  his  mouth  open  to  the  sun,  that  the  shaman  may 
see  whether  the  evil  entered  the  body  through  this  aper- 
ture. People  become  bewitched  at  night  through  the 
openings  of  the  body,  and  the  shaman  also  examines 
the  nostrils,  ears,  etc.  It  is  also  the  shaman's  business 
to  find  out  who  caused  the  trouble,  and  since  he  can 
see  more  than  ordinary  people  he  is  able  to  track  the 
offender. 

Some  people  by  their  mere  looks  or  thoughts  are  lia- 
ble to  make  a  person  ill.  Such  illness  may  be  brought 
on  in  retaliation  for  some  slight  or  offence,  and  may 
even  result  in  death.  The  first  thoughts  of  a  person  fall- 
ing ill  are  :  Whom  have  I  offended  ?  What  have  I 
taken  that  I  should  have  left  alone,  and  what  have  I 
kept  that  I  should  have  given  ?  Then  the  shaman  may 
tell  him  to  find  the  person  to  whom  he  had  refused  to 


316 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


give  food,  and  the  sick  one  and  his  wife  go  from  house 
to  house  asking  the  people  :  "  Was  it  you  whom  I  re- 
fused food  ?  Someone  has  made  mc  ill,  and  I  want  him 
to   make   me  well   again."      If   he   can   tind   the   person 


Rubio,    the   Shaman. 

whom  he  had  offended,  and  airange  matters  with  him,  he 
will  recover. 

The  doctor  mav  find  that  the  person's  heart  is  on 
the  wrong  side,  and  prescribe  a  liberal  allowance  of 
tesvino  to  get  it  back  to  its  proper  place.  But  gen- 
erally the  skill  of  the  shaman  is  taxed  more  severely 
and  he  resorts  to  the  more  direct  and  powerful  meth- 
ods of  mairie.       A  ccjinmoii  occurrence  is  that  of  illness 


THE   SIC  KING-TUBE  317 

caused  by  majj^o^ots,  which  the  shaman  has  to  extract 
from  the  patient  l)v  means  of  a  suckino;-tube,  a  short 
piece  of  reed  al)()Ul  three  inclies  long',  cut  from  a  kind 
of  reed  different  from  that  of  the  arrow-shaft.  Fie 
pkices  it  on  the  afflicted  spot,  and  after  sucking  vigor- 
ously for  a  minute  or  so  empties  from  his  mouth  into 
his  hand  or  into  a  corn-leaf,  what  purports  to  be  the 
maggots.  I  never  had  an  opportunity  of  examining 
closely  the  small  white  bits  of  something  or  other  that 
he  spit  out,  but  they  seemed  to  me  to  be  tiny  pieces  of 
buckskin  which  the  man  had  secreted  in  his  mouth  and 
which  swelled  up  when  saturated  with  saliva.  To  the 
shaman  they  represent  maggots  ;  that  is,  the  embodi- 
ment of  the  disease,  and  all  the  people  hrmly  believe 
that  they  are  maggots.  The  corn-leaf  and  its  contents 
are  buried ;  a  cross  is  made  on  the  ground  over  the  spot 
and  a  ceremonial  circuit  run  around  it.  When  resting 
between  operations,  the  shaman  places  his  sucking-tube 
into  a  bowl  of  water  in  which  some  herbs  are  soaking. 

The  mode  of  curing-,  however,  varies.  A  common 
way  in  use  near  Guachochic  is  to  make  the  patient 
stand  on  all  fours  and  bathe  him  well  with  water;  then 
to  place  him  on  a  blanket  and  carry  him  over  a  fire  tow- 
ard the  cross  and  the  four  corners  of  the  world.  When 
put  down  on  the  ground  again  he  lies  or  kneels  on  the 
blanket,  and  the  shaman  places  his  tube  against  the 
afflicted  part  and  begins  to  suck  forcibly,  while  the  rest 
of  the  people  stand  around  with  sticks,  ready  to  kill  the 
disease  so  as  to  prevent  it  from  returning  and  doing 
harm  to  others.  Presently  the  shaman  produces  from 
his  mouth  a  small  stone,  which  he  asserts  was  the  cause 
of  the  disease.  While  the  people  are  furiously  beating 
the  air,  he  proceeds  at  once  to  bury  it  in  the  earth,  or  in 
the  bottom  of  the  river,  into  which  he  dives.  He  may 
suck  out  as  many  as  eight  stones,  but  generally  contents 


3i8  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

himself  with  four  ;  and  for  treating  a  man  in  this  way 
he  receives  four  ahiiuds  of  maize. 

On  one  occasion,  when  I  had  taken  a  little  cold,  I 
asked  a  shaman  friend  whether  he  could  cure  me. 
"Certainly  I  can,"  was  the  confident  reply.  He  took 
from  a  little  basket,  in  which  he  kept  his  hikuli  or 
sacred  cacti  and  probably  simikir  valuables,  three  black 
stones  and  said  that  he  would  sell  one  of  these  to  me  ; 
if  I  put  it  into  warm  water  it  would  cure  me.  This  was 
not  quite  to  my  liking,  as  I  wanted  him  to  perform  the 
magical  feat  of  sucking  maggots  out  of  the  skin.  He 
complied  with  my  request,  and  told  me  to  go  ahead  to 
my  camp,  whither  he  would  follow  me  soon.  On  his 
arrival  I  offered  him  some  food,  as  my  case  was  not 
urgent,  but  he  declined,  and  proceeded  to  cure  me.  A 
saddle  l)lanket  was  spread  out  for  me  to  kneel  on,  and 
my  Mexican  and  Indian  attendants  were  told  to  retire, 
while  he  made  his  examination.  Having  ascertained 
that  I  had  a  headache,  he  took  my  head  between  his 
dirty  hands,  pressed  it,  applied  his  lips  to  my  right  ear, 
and  commenced  to  suck  very  energetically.  This  was 
rather  trying  to  my  nerves,  though  not  unen durably  so. 
Presently  he  let  go  his  hold,  and  spit  out  quite  a  lot  of 
blood  into  a  cup  an  Indian  boy  was  holding  out  to  him. 
He  repeated  the  operation  on  mv  left  ear  with  the  same 
result.  "More  pain?"  he  asked.  "Yes,"  I  said,  "in 
my  right  hand."  He  immediatelv  grabbed  that  member 
in  his  mouth,  biting  almost  through  the  skin  over  the 
pulse,  and  after  having  sucked  for  a  little  while,  de- 
posited contents,  of  a  similar  nature,  into  the  cup  from 
his  mouth.  It  was  afterward  found  that  the  blood  was 
mixed  with  a  considerable  numl)cr  of  grass  seeds,  which 
had  been  the  cause  of  my  illness.  I  had  not  known  that 
I  was  so  "  seedy." 

The  curing  is  often   performed  at  dances,  during  the 


CURED   OF   GRASS    SEEDS 


3'9 


nio:ht,  as  the  family  who  give  the  feast  expect  to  receive, 
in  return  for  all  their  trouble  and  expense,  the  benefit  of 
the  shaman's  magic  powers,  whether  an\'  of  them  are  ill 
or  not.  Once  a  man,  his  wife,  and  his  child  had  been 
cured  with  tesvino,  but  nevertheless  they  still  anxiously 
looked  to  the  shaman  for  more  treatment,  apparently 
feelinir  that  they  needed  more  streno"th  asfainst  cotninor 


Rubio,    the   Shaman,    and    his   WW'e   at   Home   in   their   Cave. 


evil.  The  woman  said  :  "  Yesterday  I  fell  into  the  water 
and  got  wet  and  felt  ill,  and  in  the  night  I  dreamed  that 
I  was  dead  and  that  you  cured  me."  To  this  the  doctor 
replied,  "Yes,  that  is  whv  I  came  to  cure  you."  Then, 
yielding  to  their  beseeching  glances,  he  daubed  them 
again,  this  time  holding  their  hands  and  with  a  little 
cross  in  his  left  hand.  Then  he  said  :  "  Now  you  need 
not   be  afraid  ;   I    have  cured  you  well.       Do  not  walk 


320 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


about  any  more  like  fools 
and  do  not  get  wet  again." 
And  they  were  eontent. 

There  is  a  shaman  near 
Baqueachic  (baka  =  liam- 
boo  reed)  who  has  a 
great  reputation  for  cur- 
ing cattle,  or  rather  for 
keeping  them  in  health. 
Every  year  he  makes  a 
tour  of  the  different  ranch- 
es, and  the  Indians  hung; 
their  animals  to  him  to  be 
treated.  A  large  hole  is 
duo-  in  the  ground  and  a 
lire  kindled  in  it.  Then 
some  green  branches  of 
the  mountain  cedar  and 
some  copal  are  thrown  in 
and  burned,  and  the  ani- 
mals driven  one  by  one 
through  the  smoke.  Since 
the  veterinary  gets  one 
animal  for  each  ceremony, 
he  becomes  quite  rich. 

The  shamans  also  un- 
dertake to  cure  the  sun 
and  the  moon,  because 
these,  too,  are  often  ill 
and  have  to  be  righted. 
Not    a    feast    is    held     in 

Shaman    Rubio's  Cave,   Seen    troin    the      wllicll        SOlllC        Spooufuls 

Outside.  from    the   jars   containing 

the  remedies  are  not  thrown  up  for  the  benefit  of  the 
sun    and    the     moon.       Occasionally,    however,    special 


EVERYTHING   TO   BE   CURED  321 

ceremonies  have  to  be  performed  lo  eure  the  celestial 
bodies,  particularly  the  moon,  because  from  her  all  the 
stars  receive  their  liiiht.  At  the  period  of  the  dark 
moon  she  is  considered  to  be  sick  and  tied  up  by  the 
Devil,  and  the  world  is  sad.  Then  the  shamans  assem- 
ble to  consult  about  her  ailment  and  the  means  of 
curing  her.  An  ox  may  be  killed  and  tesvino  made. 
In  killiuLj:  the  animal,  care  is  taken  not  to  injure 
the  heart,  which  is  treated  with  great  ceremony.  The 
people  always  avoid  touching  it,  and  at  sacrifices  they 
hang  it  with  the  lungs  to  a  stick  raised  near  the  cross. 
The  shamans  stand  near,  with  small  earthenware  dishes 
containing  copal  incense  ;  while  the  oldest  cuts  with  his 
knife  four  crosses  on  four  diametrically  opposite  points 
of  the  heart,  and  from  the  upper  part  all  but  slices  off  a 
piece,  which  is  left  hanging  down  beside  the  main  part. 
All  the  blood  the  heart  contained  is  sacrificed  to  the  four 
cardinal  points  with  much  singing.  Then  the  shaman 
asks  for  an  earthen  bowl  which  has  never  been  used  be- 
fore, and  in  this  he  places  the  heart  and  burns  it  without 
adding  fat  or  anything  else.  The  ashes  he  rubs  be- 
tween his  fingers  until  reduced  to  a  fine  dust,  which  he 
mixes  with  water  and  some  medicinal  herbs.  The  sha- 
mans stand  in  the  middle,  and  the  people  around  them, 
and  all  are  unanimous  in  their  prayer  that  they  may  see 
the  moon.  Each  shaman  takes  three  spoonfuls  of  medi- 
cine, the  rest  of  which  is  thrown  on  the  cross,  and  the 
shamans  watch  all  night. 

The  Christian  Tarahumares  even  feel  called  upon  to 
cure  the  church  when  those  buried  in  and  around  it  have 
been  noisily  dancing  and  damaging  the  building  to  make 
the  people  give  them  tesvino.  The  principal  shaman 
heads  the  procession,  carrying  a  jar  of  the  liquor.  His  as- 
sistant holds  in  one  hand  a  bowl  containing  water  mixed 
with  the  crushed  leaves  of  the  maguey,  and  in  the  other 

Vol.  I. — 21 


>^ 


322  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

some  fresh  maguey  leaves.  The  tesvino,  as  well  as  the 
green  water,  is  liberally  thrown  ui)on  the  walls  and  the 
floor  of  the  church  to  lay  the  perturbed  spirits. 

Mow  to  cure  smallpox  is  beyond  the  ken  of  the 
shamans,  but  they  try  to  keep  off  the  dread  enemy  by 
making  fences  of  thorny  branches  of  different  trees  across 
the  paths  leading  to  the  houses  ;  and  snake-skins,  the 
tail  of  the  grey  fox,  and  other  powerful  protectors  or 
charms,  are  hung  around  the  doors  of  their  dwellings  to 
frighten  the  disease  away.  The  same  purpose  is  accom- 
plished through  the  pungent  smell  produced  by  burning 
in  the  house  the  horns  of  cows,  sheep,  and  goats. 

The  shamans  also  profess  to  produce  springs  by 
sowing  water.  They  make  a  hole  one  yard  deep  in  the 
rocky  ground.  Water  is  brought  in  a  gourd  and  poured 
into  it,  together  with  half  an  almud  of  salt.  The  hole  is 
then  covered  up  with  earth,  and  after  three  years  a  spring 
forms. 

Hiirh  as  the  shamans  stand  in  the  estimation  of  the 
people,  they  are  by  no  means  exempt  from  the  instabil- 
ity of  mundane  conditions,  and  the  higher  a  man  rises 
the  less  secure  is  his  position.  The  power  to  see  every- 
thing, to  guard  against  evil,  and  to  cure  illness  issues 
from  the  light  of  his  heart,  which  was  given  him  by 
Tata  Dios.  It  enables  him  to  see  Tata  Dios  himself,  to 
talk  to  him,  to  travel  through  space  at  will,  for  the  sha- 
mans are  as  bright  as  the  sun.  But  all  this  supjM:)sed 
great  power  to  do  good  may  at  any  moment  be  turned  to 
evil  purposes.  There  are  indeed  some  shamans  whose 
kindly,  sweet-tempered  manners  and  gentle  wa\s  enable 
them  to  retain  their  good  reputation  to  the  end  ;  but  few 
go  through  life  who  can  keep  themselves  always  above 
suspicion,  especially  when  they  grow  older  ;  and  inno- 
cent persons  have  on  this  account  been  cruelly  perse- 
cuted.    Such  a  fate  is  all  the  more  liable  to  befall  them 


POWERS   OF   GOOD    AND   EVIL         323 

on  account  of  the  recognised  ability  of  a  shaman  to  i)oth 
cure  and  produce  disease. 

No  doubt  the  great  quantity  of  stimulants  taken  by 
shamans  in  the  course  of  their  career  causes  them  to 
go  periodically  through  a  state  of  excitement,  which, 
combined  with  the  enthusiasm  which  they  work  them- 
selves up  to,  gradually  giv^es  to  these  men,  who  fre- 
quently are  richly  endowed  with  animal  magnetism,  a 
supernatural  appearance.  Adv^ancing  years  have  their 
share  in  making  such  a  man  look  odd  and  uncanny,  not 
only  on  account  of  his  grey  hair,  wrinkled  face,  and 
shaggy  eyebrows,  but  still  more  by  his  reserved  bearing 
and  distinctive  personality.  Women  shamans,  too,  may 
turn  bad  and  become  witches. 

Much  as  in  cases  of  heresy  among  Christian  minis- 
ters, the  other  shamans  hold  a  consultation  regarding  a 
suspected  colleague,  and  may  decide  that  the  light  of 
his  heart  has  failed  him  and  that  he  is  no  longer  one  of 
them.  From  that  time  on,  good  people  avoid  him  ;  they 
no  longer  give  him  food,  and  do  not  tolerate  him 
about  their  homes  ;  they  are  afraid  of  him  ;  and  the  bet- 
ter a  shaman  he  was  before,  the  more  terrible  a  sorcerer 
he  is  now  supposed  to  have  become.  Soon  every  acci- 
dent that  happens  in  the  locality  is  laid  at  the  accused 
man's  door. 

There  are,  on  the  other  hand,  many  evil-minded 
persons  who  pretend  to  possess  supernatural  powers  to 
do  harm,  and  accept  payment  for  services  of  that  kind  ; 
in  short,  who  make  it  a  business  to  be  sorcerers.  The 
power  of  the  sorcerer  to  do  evil  is  as  great  as  the  ability 
of  the  good  shaman  to  cure  it.  The  sorcerer  may  rasp 
on  his  notched  stick,  and  sing  death  and  destruction  to  a 
person  or  to  attain  his  ends  he  may  use  hikuli,  smooth 
stones,  the  corpse  or  the  foreleg  of  some  highly  vener- 
ated animal  and  powerful  rainmaker,  as  the  toad,  which 


324 


UNKNOWN    xMEXICO 


is  never  killed  except  by  bad  persons.  A  terrible  thing 
in  the  hands  of  a  sorcerer  is  a  humming-bird  stripped  of 
its  feathers,  dried,  and  wrapped  in  puchote  wool.  To 
the  Tarahumares  the  brilliant  little  bird,  often  ineniioned 
in  their  songs,  is  a  good  and  mighty  hero-god,  but   the 


Ruhio,  the   Shaman,  Examining   a   man  accused  of  Sorcerv. 

sorcerer  perverts  his  great  power  to  his  own  evil  pur- 
poses. The  sorcerer  is  feared  by  all  ;  pregnant  women, 
especially,  go  out  of  his  wav,  as  he  may  hinder  them 
from  giving  birth  to  their  children.  When  Tarahumares 
see  a  shooting  star  thev  think  it  is  a  dead  sorcerer  com- 
ing  to   kill  a   man  who  did  iiim   harm   in   life,  and   thev 


SOKCEKY 


vs 


huddle  together  and  scream  with  terror.  When  the  star 
has  passed,  they  know  that  somewhere  a  man  has  been 
killed,  and  that  now  the  sorcerer  is  taking  out  his  heart. 

If  a  man  does  any  harm  to  a  j)owcrful  sorcerer,  the 
latter,  after  death,  enters  into  a  mountain  lion  or  jaguar 
or  bear,  and  watches  by  the  wayside  until  the  offender 
comes,  when  he  kills  him. 

Sorcerers  are  also  believed  to  prevent  rain  from  fall- 
ing, and  therefore  the  people  were  once  mueli  pleased 
when  they  saw  me  photographing  a  sorcerer.  The 
camera  was  considered  a  pow^erful  rain-maker,  and  was 
thought  to  make  the  bad  man  clean.  The  people  mav 
chastise  a  man  suspected  of  sorcery,  to  frighten  him 
from  doing  further  mischief.  A  sick  person  also  is 
supposed  to  improve  when  the  sorcerer  who  made  him 
ill  is  punished  ;  but  if  accidents  and  misfortune  continue 
to  happen,  the  accused  man  may  be  killed.  Such  ex- 
treme measures  have  been  resorted  to  even  in  recent 
years,  though  rarely. 

The  magical  powers  of  a  sorcerer  are  appalling. 
When  a  Tarahumare  walks  with  a  sorcerer  in  the  forest 
and  thev  meet  a  bear,  the  sorcerer  may  say  :  "  Don't 
kill  him  ;  it  is  I  ;  don't  do  him  anv  harm  !  "  or  if  an  owl 
screeches  at  night,  the  sorcerer  may  say  :  "  Don't  you 
hear  me  ?     It  is  I  who  am  calling." 

The  sorcerer  dies  a  terrible  death.  Many  dogs  bark 
and  run  awav  and  come  back  ;  they  look  like  fire,  but 
thev  are  not  ;  thev  are  the  evil  thoughts  of  the  sorcerer. 
The  river,  too,  makes  a  greater  noise  as  it  flows,  as  if 
somebody  were  dipping  up  water  and  pouring  it  out 
again.  Uncannv,  weird  noises  come  from  every  part  of 
the  house,  and  all  the  people  in  it  are  much  frightened. 
Hardly  anyone  goes  to  talk  to  the  dying  man,  and  no 
one  bids  him  good-bye.  The  Christian  Tarahumares  do 
not  bury  him  in  the  churchyard  with  other  people,  but 


326  UxNKNOWN    MEXICO 

alone  in  a  remote  cave,  and  they  bury  all  his  things  with 
him — his  machete  his  axe,  and  heavy  things  that  other 
people  never  take  along,  hut  which  the  sorcerer,  because 
he  is  very  powerful,  can  carry  with  him  when  he  goes  to 
heaven. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  medical  education  of  the  sha- 
mans is  extremely  limited.  Their  rational  materia 
vicdica  is  confined  to  the  hikuli  cactus  and  a  few  roots 
and  plants.  Aside  from  this  they  have  a  cure  for  snake- 
bites which  is  really  remarkable.  The  injured  man  kills 
the  reptile,  cuts  out  its  liver  and  gall,  and  smears  the  lat- 
ter over  the  wound  ;  he  may  also  eat  a  piece  of  the  liver, 
but  it  must  be  taken  from  the  animal  that  inflicted  the 
injury  ;  then  he  will  be  well  again  in  three  days.  If 
people  die  of  snake-bites,  it  is  because  the  reptile  es- 
caped. The  gall  of  a  rattlesnake  has  a  sickening  smell ; 
even  my  dogs  were  repulsed  by  it  when  I  once  killed  a 
four-foot  rattler.  The  method  may  be  considered  as  in 
accord  with  the  modern  theory  that  the  bile  of  many 
animals  contains  strong  antitoxins. 

However,  there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun.  In 
the  Talmud  we  find  recommended  as  a  cure  for  hydro- 
phobia to  eat  the  liver  of  the  dog  that  bites  one  ;  and  in 
the  Apocrypha  we  read  that  Tobias  was  cured  of  blind- 
ness by  the  gall  of  a  fish. 

Most  surprising  of  all  is  the  fact  that  this  tribe,  which 
to-day  shows  but  verv  slight  knowledge  of  surgery, 
should  in  former  times  iiave  {practised  trejxmning.  That 
the  Tarahumares  understood  this  art  is  evident  from  two 
skulls  which  I  brought  back  from  their  country.  The 
skulls  were  found  under  the  following  circumstances  : 

In  1894  1  stayed  for  a  fortnight  in  a  remote  part  of 
the  Sierra  Madre,  called  Pino  Gordo  on  account  of  its 
magnificent  pine-trees.  The  district  is  separated  on  the 
north  from  the  central  part   of  the  Taraiiumare  country 


AN    INTERESTING   FIND  327 

by  the  deep  Barranca  de  San  Carlos,  and  there  are  no 
Mexicans  livino:  within  its  confines.  The  place  in  which 
I  found  one  of  the  skulls  is  twenty  miles  north  of  the 
mining  town  of  Guadalupe  y  Calvo.  A  lonely  trail 
leads  through  it  on  which,  only  occasionally,  perhaps 
once  in  the  course  of  a  month,  a  Mexican  from  the 
ranches  at  Guachochic  may  journey  to  Guadalupe  y 
Calvo. 

One  day  the  principal  man  of  the  locality,  who  had 
been  very  friendly  to  me,  showed  me  a  burial-cave.  I 
had  persuaded  him  that  it  was  better  for  me  to  take 
away  the  bones  contained  in  it,  in  order  to  keep  them 
in  a  good  house,  liian  to  let  them  remain  where  they 
were,  "killing  sheep  and  making  people  sick."  "But 
why  do  you  want  them  ? "  he  asked.  Having  been 
satisfied  on  this  point,  he  one  day  led  the  way  to 
a  wild,  steep  arroyo,  pointed  at  its  head,  and  having 
thus  indicated  where  the  cave  was,  at  once  left  me.  I 
made  my  way  as  best  I  could  up  the  steep  little  gorge, 
accompanied  by  one  of  my  men.  On  arriving  at  the 
top  I  found  the  entrance  to  the  cave  completely  cov- 
ered with  stones  plastered  together  with  mud.  A  heap 
of  stones  was  also  piled  outside  against  the  wall. 

The  cave  I  found  very  small,  and,  contrary  to  the 
exaggerated  reports  of  the  Indians,  it  contained  only 
three  skeletons.  According  to  the  custom  prevailing 
throughout  part  of  the  country  of  the  Tarahumares, 
these  remains  had  not  been  buried.  The  skeletons  were 
simply  lying  on  their  backs,  from  east  to  west,  as  if  look- 
ing toward  the  setting  sun.  A  few  crudely  made  clay 
vessels  of  the  ordinary  Tarahumare  type  were  found 
alongside  of  them.  On  gathering  the  three  skulls  I  was 
at  once  struck  by  a  circular  hole  in  the  right  parietal 
bone  of  one  of  them.  As  they  undoubtedly  belonged  to 
the  Tarahumares,  the  question  at  once  occurred  to  me: 


3^-8 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


Can  it  be  possible  that  this  barl)aric  tribe,  not  paiticu- 
larlv  advanced  in  the  arts,  was  ca})able  of  trepanning? 
The  remoteness  of  the  place  entirelv  negatives  the  sug- 
gestion that  a  civilised  surgeon  could  have  had  anything 
to  do  with  it. 

The  skull,  the  lower  jaw  of  which  is  missing,  is  that 
of  a  Tarahumare  woman  over  fiftv  vears  of  age.  The  age 
of  the  specimen  itself  is  impossible  to  arrive  at,  on  ac- 
count of  the  peculiar  circumstances  in  which  it  was  pre- 
served. However,  the  cranial  walls  still  contained  some 
animal  matter,  were  still  somewhat  fatty  to  the  touch, 
and  retained  some  odour.  A  spindle  provided  with  a 
whorl   made  from  a  j)iece  of  j^ine-bark,  which  was  lying 


Seen  from  above.  Seen  from  one  side. 

Trepanned  Tarahumare  Skull,  Female. 

among  the  bones  in  the  cave,  indicates  that  the  body  of 
this  female  had  not  been  put  there  in  recent  times.  This 
variety  of  whorl,  so  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  has  not  been 
observed  among  the  Tarahumares  of  the  present  day.  It 
is,  indeed,  j)Ossil)le  that  the  skeleton  may  be  j)re-Colum- 
bian. 

The  skull  does  not  present  aiiv  deformities  or  fract- 
ures, and  the  singular  aperture  is  almost  exactly  round, 
measuring  two  centimetres  in  diameter.  A  careful  ex- 
amination shows  that  the  cut  was  made  a  long  time,  sev- 


TREPANNING  329 

eral   years  in   fact,  before  death.     The  reo;Lilaritv  of  the 
hole  indicates  beyond  doubt  that  it  is  artihcial. 

Another  skull  taken  from  a  burial-cave  near  Narara- 
chic  is  also  that  of  a  female,  and  the  opening'  here,  too, 
is  in  the  parietal  bone,  and  in  almost  the  same  place  as 
the  openino;"  in  the  first  skull  described.  In  this  second 
specimen  the  cavity  is  almost  filled  in  with  new  bone, 
and  as  in  this  instance  the  edges  are  very  regular  and 
uniform,  and  distinctlv  beveled,  thev  show  that  the  op- 
eration was  performed  by  scraping.  This  cannot  be  said 
of  the  first  specimen  found ;  the  almost  circular  form 
of  the  opening,  and  its  perpendicular  walls,  prove  con- 
clusively that  in  this  instance  the  surgeon  did  not  em- 
ploy the  simple  method  of  scraping  the  bone.  I  have 
never  found  among  the  Tarahumares  any  implement 
with  which  such  an  operation  could  have  been  performed. 
Possibly  it  was  done  with  a  kind  of  flint  wimble  with 
three  teeth,  much  like  the  instrument  used  to-dav  in 
trepanning  by  the  Berbers  in  L'Aures,  who  cure  even 
headaches  by  this  method.  It  is,  of  course,  impossible 
to  say  now  whether  the  ancients  performed  the  operation 
simply  to  relieve  the  patient  of  bone  splinters,  pus,  blood, 
etc.,  pressing  on  the  brain,  or  whether  it  was  done  to  let 
out  an  evil  spirit.  It  is  the  first  time  that  cases  of  tre- 
panning have  been  found  in  Mexico. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

RELATION  OF  MAN  TO  NATURE —  DANCING  AS  A  FORM  OF  WOR- 
SHIP LEARNED  FROM  THE  ANIMALS — TARAHUMAKE  SACRI- 
FICES— THE     RUTUBURI     DANCE      TAUGHT     UV      THE     TURKEY 

THE    YUMARI    LEARNED    FROM    THE    DEER TARAHUMARE    RAIN 

SONGS GREETING     THE      SUN — TARAHUMARE      ORATORY THE 

FLOWING     BOWL THE     NATIONAL    IMPORTANCE      OF     TESVINO 

HOMEWARD    BOUND. 

SINCE  the  people  obtain  their  subsistence  from  the 
products  of  the  soil,  they  naturally  are  deeply  con- 
cerned in  the  weather  upon  which  their  crops  depend. 
Rain,  therefore,  is  the  focal  point  from  which  all  their 
thoughts  radiate.  Even  the  plough  is  dipped  into  water 
before  it  is  put  to  use,  in  order  that  it  may  draw  rain. 
The  people  may  try  to  force  the  moon  and  the  sun  to 
give  them  rain.  In  times  of  drought  they  reproach  es- 
pecially the  moon  for  making  the  people  live  on  the 
leaves  of  the  ash-tree  and  what  other  poor  stuff  they  can 
find;  on  her  account  they  are  getting  so  thin  that  they 
can  no  longer  recognise  themselves.  They  scold  her, 
and  threaten  to  denounce  her  to  the  sun.  The  sun 
himself  may  be  rebuked  for  lack  of  rain.  At  other 
times  they  may  throw  up  water  to  heaven  with  many 
ceremonies,  that  Tata  Dios  may  replenish  his  supply. 
Cenerally,  however,  their  relations  with  the  gods,  as  with 
men,  are  based  on  the  business  i)rinci|>lc  of  give  and  take. 
Sacrifices  of  food,  the  meat  of  domestic  animals  or 
of  game,  and  of  tesvino,  are  needed  to  induce  Father 
Sun  and  Mother  Moon  to  let  il  rain.  Tlie  favour  of  the 
gods  may  be  won  by  what  for  want  of  a  belter  term  may 

330 


DANCING   A   FORM    OF   WORSHIP      331 

"be  called  dancing,  but  what  in  reality  is  a  series  of  mo- 
notonous movements,  a  kind  of  rhythmical  exercise,  kept 
up  sometimes  for  two  nights.  By  dint  of  such  hard 
work  they  think  to  prevail  ui)on  the  gods  to  grant  their 
prayers.  The  dancing  is  accompanied  by  the  song  of 
the  sliaman,  in  which  he  communicates  his  wishes  to  the 
unseen  world,  describing  the  beautiful  effect  of  the  rain, 
the  fog,  and  the  mist  on  the  vegetable  world.  He 
invokes  the  aid  of  all  the  animals,  mentioning  each  by 
name  and  also  calls  on  them,  especially  the  deer  and  the 
rabbit,  to  multiply  that  the  people  may  have  plenty  to  eat. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Tarahumares  assert  that  the 
dances  have  been  taught  them  by  the  animals.  Like 
all  primitive  people,  they  are  close  observers  of  nature. 
To  them  the  animals  are  by  no  means  inferior  creat- 
ures; they  understand  magic  and  are  possessed  of  much 
knowledge,  and  may  assist  the  Tarahumares  in  making 
rain.  In  spring,  the  singing  of  the  birds,  the  cooing  of 
the  dove,  the  croaking  of  the  frog,  the  chirping  of  the 
cricket,  all  the  sounds  uttered  by  the  denizens  of  the 
greensward,  are  to  the  Indian  appeals  to  the  deities  for 
rain.  For  what  other  reason  should  they  sing  or  call  ?  V 
For  the  strange  behaviour  of  many  animals  in  the  early 
spring  the  Tarahumares  can  find  no  other  explanation 
but  that  these  creatures,  too,  are  interested  in  rain. 
And  as  the  gods  grant  the  prayers  of  the  deer  ex- 
pressed in  its  antics  and  dances,  and  of  the  turkey  in  its 
curious  playing,  by  sending  the  rain,  they  easily  infer 
that  to  please  the  gods  they,  too,  must  dance  as  the 
deer  and  play  as  the  turkey. 

From  this  it  will  be  understood  that  dance  with 
these  people  is  a  very  serious  and  ceremonious  matter,  a 
kind  of  worship  and  incantation  rather  than  amusement. 
Never  do  man  and  woman  dance  together,  as  in  the 
Avaltz  and   polka  of   civilised   people.     The  very  word 


332  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

for  dancino;'.  "  nolavoa,"  means  literally  "  to  work."' 
The  wise  oUl  man  may  reproach  lag<:;ard,  inexperienced 
younger  ones,  saying,  "  Whv^  do  \-oii  not  go  to  work?" 
meaning  that  they  should  go  to  the  dance  and  not  stand 
idly  about  while  the  feast  is  going  on.  If  the  Tara- 
humares  did  not  comply  with  the  commands  of  Father 
Sun  and  dance,  the  latter  would  come  down  and  burn 
up  the  whole  world. 

The  Indian  never  asks  his  e^od  to  forijive  whatever 
sin  he  may  have  committed  ;  all  he  asks  for  is  rain, 
which  to  him  means  something  to  eat,  and  to  be  free  of 
evil.  The  onlv  wrong  toward  the  gods  of  which  he  may 
consider  himself  guilty  is  that  he  does  not  dance  enough. 
For  this  offence  he  asks  pardon.  Whatever  bad  thoughts 
or  actions  toward  man  he  mav  have  on  his  conscience 
are  settled  between  himself  and  the  person  offended.  I 
once  asked  a  prominent  heathen  shaman  why  the  people 
were  not  baptised,  and  he  said :  "  Because  Tata  Dios 
made  us  as  we  are.  We  have  always  been  as  you  see 
us.  People  do  not  need  to  be  baptised,  because  there 
is  no  devil  here.  Tata  Dios  is  not  angrv  with  us  ;  whv 
should  he  be  ?  Onlv  when  people  do  bad  things  does 
he  get  angry.  We  make  much  beer  and  dance  much, 
in  order  that  he  mav  remain  content  ;  but  when  people 
talk  much,  and  go  around  fighting,  then  he  gets  angry 
and  does  not  give  us  rain." 

Dancing  not  only  expresses  prayers  for  rain  and  life, 
but  also  petitions  the  gods  to  ward  off  evil  in  any  shape, 
as  diseases  of  man,  beast,  or  cro))s.  The  |)eople  may 
dance  also  in  case  too  much  rain  is  falling,  or  for  luck  in 
held  work,  hunting,  despatching  the  dead,  etc.;  and  in 
tills  way  they  also  give  thanks  for  the  harvest.  By 
dancing  and  with  tesvino  thev  express  all  their  wants  to 
the  gods,  or,  as  a  Tarahumare  told  me,  "  We  pray  by 
dancin<r  and  the  irourd." 


SACRIFICES  333 

With  the  dances  is  always  connected  the  sacrifice  of  - 
an  animal  ;  the  greater  portion  of  the  meat  is  eaten  hv 
the  people  themselves,  who.  beside,  hrino;  forth  all  kinds 
of  nice  food,  the  best  they  have.  Such  dancing  festi- 
vals, as  a  matter  of  course,  are  given  either  by  indi- 
viduals or  by  the  community.  It  is  thought  that  Tata 
Dios  himself  comes  down  each  time  to  make  his  de- 
mands on  the  Tarahumares  for  dancing  and  sacrihcing. 
He  communicates  his  wishes  in  a  dream  to  someone, 
not  necessarily  a  shaman  ;  and  in  the  dry  season,  when 
the  Indians  begin  to  prepare  their  fields,  most  of  these 
notices  come  and  are  generally  made  known  to  all  at 
a  race,  where  manv  people  always  come  together.  Dur- 
ing all  these  months  hardly  a  day  passes  without  a  mes- 
senger being  sent  out  from  some  place  in  the  country 
to  advise  one  or  the  other  of  the  principal  shamans  that 
God  has  come  down  and  demanded  a  feast.  Some- 
times Tata  Dios  asks  for  an  ox  to  be  killed  ;  at  other 
times  he  wants  only  a  sheep.  Frequently  he  indicates 
that  the  animal  must  be  white  ;  on  other  occasions  he  is 
not  particular  about  the  colour.  The  threat  is  added 
that  if  the  sacrifice  is  not  forthcoming,  and  the  peoj:>le 
do  not  dance  soon,  all  the  corn  will  be  burned  up,  and  thev 
will  have  to  die  of  hunger.  Or,  if  there  has  been  too 
much  rain,  the  notice  may  say  that,  unless  they  sacrifice 
and  dance  at  once,  all  will  be  drowned,  because  it  is 
going  to  rain  tremendouslv.  Occasionallv  it  is  directed 
that  they  dance  only  a  little  while,  then  rest,  then  dance 
again  ;  or  else  they  have  to  keep  on  dancing  for  a 
night  and  a  day,  or  two  nights  in  succession.  When  a 
great  many  sacrifices  have  been  made  and  animals  begin 
to  be  scarce,  Tata  Dios  mav  have  to  content  himself 
with  iskiate  and  tortillas.  The  people  mav  continue  to 
make  feasts  and  to  dance,  and  vet  get  no  other  results 
but  fresh  messages,  ordering  still   more  sacrifices.    Then 


334  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

the  Indians  begin  to  argue  with  Tata  Uius  that  he  must 
not  be  so  greedy  ;  he  has  filled  himself  uj:)  with  oxen  and 
sheep  and  tesvino,  and  they  cannot  give  him  any  more. 
When  such  revolt  seems  imminent  the  shaman  may 
throw  out  an  ominous  hint  that  the  sacrifices  have  to  be 
made  ;  for  what  would  the  Tarahumares  say  if  Tata  Dios 
w^anted  one  of  them  to  be  killed  ? 

Among  the  reasons  given  by  the  Christian  Tarahu- 
mares for  continued  dry  weather  are  the  following  :  The 
Devil  has  made  Tata  Dios  sick  and  has  tied  him  up  ;  or 
the  Moon  (Virgin  Mary)  is  sick  ;  or  the  people  have  not 
given  Tata  Dios  enough  food  and  he  is  very  hungry  ;  or 
the  railroad  engines  of  the  Americans  are  making  so 
much  smoke  that  Tata  Dios  is  angry  ;  or,  finally,  some- 
one at  a  feast  has  infringed  upon  the  law  of  decorum, 
and  thereby  annulled  its  value. 

At  present  domestic  animals  are  considered  more 
valuable  at  sacrifices  than  the  beasts  of  the  field  and  the 
forest ;  yet  squirrels  (chipawiki),  turkeys,  deer,  rabbits, 
and  fish  are  still  used  to  some  extent,  especially  l)y  those 
who  do  not  possess  domestic  animals.  Twenty  men  may 
go  out  to  hunt  a  deer,  or  from  six  to  ten  men  try  to  bring 
in  four  or  five  squirrels  for  a  communal  feast,  to  w^hich 
all  contribute  the  corn  necessary  for  the  tesvino,  say, 
half  an  almud,  more  or  less,  according  to  the  means  of 
each  householder.  Never  does  any  one  man  give  all 
the  corn  required  for  a  tribal  feast,  though  he  mav  do- 
nate all  the  meat,  in  the  shape  of  an  ox,  a  cow,  or  a 
sheep.  Goats  are  sacrificed  only  at  burial  functions.  If 
the  people  do  not  give  the  best  they  have  for  the  sacri- 
fice, they  W'ill  ol)tain  only  poor  results. 

The  dances  are  always  held  in  the  open  air,  that 
Father  Sun  and  Mother  Moon  may  look  ui)on  the 
efforts  of  their  children  to  please  them.  They  dance  on 
the    level    space    in    front    of    the  d welling,     j)referal)ly 


THE   RUTUBUKI    DANCE 


335 


each  danced  on  its  own  patio.  Some  people  have  as 
many  as  three  such  dancing-places,  but  most  of  them 
have  to  content  themselves  with  one.  If  a  Tarahumare 
could  afford  it,  he  would  have  ten  patios  to  accommo- 
date more  people  and  dances  near  his  house. 

To  my  knowledge  there  are  six  different  dances,  hut 
of  these  I  will  describe  only  two,  the  rutuburi   and   the 


The   Beginning   of  the    Rutuburi   and    the    Yumari    Dance. 

yumari,  as  these  are  the  most  important  and  the  two 
almost  exclusively  used  in  the  central  part  of  the  coun- 
try. The  other  four  I  saw  only  among  the  southern 
Tarahumares. 

The  rutuburi  was  taught  to  the  people  by  the  turkey. 
Generally  three  crosses  are  put  up,  and  there  are  three 
shamans,  the  principal  one  being  in  the  middle  ;  his 
assistants  need  not  be  shamans,  but  the  master   of  the 


336  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

house  and  his  son,  or  sonic  i rusted  friend,  may  ofhciate. 
When  tlie  dancing-  is  ahout  to  begin,  these  men  lai<:e  a 
position  in  a  Hue  before  the  crosses,  facing  east,  and 
shake  their  rattles  continuously  for  two  or  three  minutes 
from  side  to  side,  holding  the  instruments  high  uj)  in  the 
air,  as  tlie  rattling  is  meant  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
gods.      Tiien,  with   the  singing  and   shaking  of  the  rat- 

\  ties — now  down  and  up — they  move  forward  in  a  man- 
ner similar  to  tluit  of  a  schoolgirl  skipping  over  a  rope, 
passing  the  crosses  to  a  point  as  far  east  as  the  starting- 
]K)int  was  to  the  west,  altogether  about  eighteen  yards. 
They  then  turn  around  and  move  back  to  the  starting- 
point.      In  this  wav  they  keep  on  dancing  forward  and 

-  back  three  times,  alwavs  in  an  easterly  and  westerly  direc- 
tion, swinging  their  rattles  down  and  up.  while  passing 
from  one  point  to  the  other,  and  from  side  to  side  when- 
ever they  reach  it.  The  down-and-u|)  movement  of  the 
rattle  is  not  a  simple  down  and  up,  but  the  down  stroke 
is  always  followed  by  a  short  after-clap  before  the  arm 
rises  for  the  new  swing,  producing  thus  a  three-part 
rhythm.  They  sing  the  following  stanza,  repeating  it 
over  and  over  again  : 

Introduction  to  Rutuburi 


Ru  -  tu  -  l)u  -  ri   vX-  -  \e  -  iia  Rii  -  tu-  In'i  -  ri    va:  -  ye  -  na 

Rutuburi,  from  one  side  lo  the  otlicr  moving!  RLituburi,  from  one  side  to,  etc. 

<  >  -  ma  wie   -   ka   xa  -  ru  -  si.  ( )  -  ma  \v:v  -  ka  .\a  -  ru  -  si. 

All !        many  !      Arms  erossed  !     All  1       many  I     Arms  crossed  ! 

This  is  the  intKxkiction  and  j)relude  to  the  whole 
dance.  Aftc-r  this  formal  opening  the  men  take  their 
places  in  line  to  the  right  of  the  shamans,  and  the 
women  to  the  left.  Tl)e\'  stand  foi"  a  few  minutes  while 
the  shamans  sing  and  swing  tlicii'  rattles,  tlu'  men 
silenth'  holding    their  arms  folded   o\'cr   their  l)rea.sts,  as 


THE   SHAMAN  337 

described  in  the  sono;.  This  crossing  of  the  arms  I  take 
to  mean  a  salutation  to  the  gods.  While  the  Taraim- 
mares  of  to-day  never  salute  each  other  by  shaking 
iiands,  neither  is  there  any  trace  at  present  of  their  ever 
having  saluted  each  other  by  crossing  arms  over  the 
breast,  which  form  was  probably  never  used  except  with 
the  gods,  at  ceremonies. 

All  the  people  are  closely  wrapped  in  their  blankets, 
which  they  wear  throughout  the  dance.  In  its  general 
traits,  the  dance  is  performed  in  the  same  way  as  the 
oi)ening  ceremony.  The  shamans,  or  sometimes  only 
the  leader,  jumps  along  as  described,  but  the  men  just 
walk  to  and  fro,  and  have  to  take  long  steps  in  order  to 
keep  abreast  with  the  leaders.  The  women  follow  the 
men  after  the  latter  have  gone  several  yards  ahead, 
skipping  in  the  same  way  as  the  shamans,  though  less 
pronounced.  They  stamp  the  hard  ground  with  the 
right  foot  and  run  without  regard  to  time,  so  that  the 
pattering  of  their  naked  feet  reminds  one  of  a  drove  of 
mules  stampeding.  They  overtake  the  men,  so  as  to 
turn  around  simultaneously  with  them  and  wait  again 
for  a  few  seconds  for  the  men  to  get  ahead  of  them. 
Thus  the  dance  is  continued  without  interruption  for 
hours  and  hours.  This  may  sound  as  if  the  spectacle 
was  monotonous ;  but  such  is  not  the  case.  On  the 
contrary,  there  is  a  certain  fascination  in  the  regular, 
rhythmical  movement  from  side  to  side — like  the  double 
pendulum  of  some  gigantic,  unseen  clock.  The  shaman 
specially  captivates  the  attention  of  the  observer,  being 
the  very  incarnation  of  enthusiasm.  He  swings  his 
rattle  with  energy  and  conviction,  as  if  bent  on  rous- 
ing the  gods  out  of  their  indifference,  while  he  stamps 
his  right  foot  on  the  ground  to  add  weight  to  the 
words,  which  he  pours  forth  in  a  loud,  resonant  voice 
from    his   wide-open    mouth.       Although    the    Tarahu- 


Vol.  I. — 22 


T^T^H  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

humare,  as  a  rule,  has  a  harsh  and  not  very  powerful 
singing  voice,  still  there  are  some  noteworthy  excep- 
tions, and  the  airs  of  the  rutuburi  songs  are  quite  pleas- 
ing to  the  ear.  These,  as  all  their  dancing-songs,  are  of 
great  antiquity  and  strangely  enchanting. 

Rutuburi  Dance 


^::t 


_S-^--5_ 


V4-sa-ma  du  -  lu(- hu  -  ru)   -   si 
In         flowers    (is)         jaltomate,* 


Sae-  va-gd     wi  -  15 
in  flow-ers  stands  up. 


i 


t^^? 


$;t 


•-       • 

-#-          -9- 

-•-        nr 

•-         -#- 

Sae     -     va 

•    ga 

wi     -     li 

wu    -    ka 

wii   -    ka. 

In  flowers 

stands  up 

getting  ripe, 

getting  ripe 

Rutuburi  Danxe 


-A-- 


.0.  -#- 

Ra   -   ya  -   bo        va    -   mi       va    -   mi  -  (ru)  ra   -   ya  -    bo 

(On     the)   ridge    yon  -  der,    yon  -  der  (On     the)  ridge 


m 


:1: 


be    -    mo  -  ko 
fog 


ra    -     ya  -   bo 
(on       the)  ridge 


be    -    mo   -  ko. 
fog. 


The  water  is  near  ; 

Fog  is  resting  on  the  mountain  and  on  the  mesa. 

The  Bluebird  sings  and  whirs  in  the  trees,  and 

The  Male  Woodpecker  is  calling  on  the  llano, 

Where  the  fog  is  rising. 

The  large  Swift  is  making  his  dashes  tlirough  the  evening  air  ; 

The  rains  are  close  at  hand. 

When  the  Swift  is  darting  through  the  air  he  makes  his  whizzing, 

humming  noise. 
The  lilue  Squirrel  ascends  the  tree  and  whistles. 
The  plants  will  be  growing  and  the  fruit  will  be  ripening, 
And  when  it  is  ripe  it  falls  to  the  ground. 
It  falls  because  it  is  so  ripe. 

*  A  kind  <>f  tomato. 


THE   YUMARI    DANCE  339 

The  flowers  are  standing  up,  waving  in  the  wind. 
The  Turkey  is  playing,  and  the  Eagle  is  calling  ; 
Therefore,  the  time  of  rains  will  soon  set  in. 

In  the  wet  season,  when  the  rabbits  are  about,  the 
shamans  sing  of  the  rabbit.  In  winter  time  they  sing 
of  the  giant  woodpecker,  and  in  harvest  time,  when  the 
people  begin  to  make  merry,  they  sing  of  the  blackbird. 

The  yumari  was  learned  from  the  deer.  Accord- 
ing to  tradition  it  is  the  oldest  dance.  At  the  hour 
appointed,  the  shaman,  facing  the  cross  and  the  east, 
here,  too,  opens  the  proceedings  by  shaking  his  rattle 
to  both  sides  to  notify  the  gods.  Then  he  begins  to  walk 
around  the  cross,  humming  a  song  and  marching  in  time 
to  the  rattle,  which  he  now  swings  down  and  up.  He 
makes  the  ceremonial  circuit,  stopping  at  each  cardinal 
point  for  a  few  seconds.  After  this  he  begins  his  dance, 
and  the  rest  of  the  assemblage  gradually  join  in.  The 
dance  consists  in  short  walks,  forward  and  backward, 
with  lock-step,  the  men  being  arrayed  in  line  on  both 
sides  of  the  shaman,  their  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground, 
their  elbows  touching.  In  this  way  they  swing  to  and 
fro,  generally  describing  a  curve  around  the  cross,  or, 
sometimes,  forming  a  circle  against  the  apparent  move- 
ment of  the  sun.  The  women  dance  in  a  similar  way, 
in  a  course  of  their  own  behind  the  men  ;  but  they  fre- 
quently break  ranks,  jumping  forward  and  backward 
with  movements  wholly  devoid  of  grace.  When  the 
dance  goes  in  a  circle,  the  women  move  with  the  sun. 

The  tones  marked  with  the  accent  >  in  each  of  the  following  yumari  songs  are  grunts. 

Yumari  dance 


-ft     '  M       -i^-FF — ^ — ^-Fi — ^— ^-Fi — p — #-HT^=d3 


Yumari  variant 


^=fi. 


zSifct 


azrt— 1 


^-^=F^^Ht-E    *n^_E^=:^=b^=££3JJ 


340 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


i^2=^I^E 


=se= 


Yumari  variant 
>  > 

Nr- 


finzzcz^ 


:a 


'Ihe  yumari  songs  tell  that  the  Cricket  wants  to 
dance  ;  the  I^og-  wants  to  dance  and  jumj)  ;  and  the 
Blue  Heron  wants  to  fish  ;  the  Goatsucker  is  dancing,  so 
is  the  Turtle,  and  the  Grey  Fox  is  whistling.  But  it  is 
characteristic  of  the  yumari  songs  that  they  generally 
consist  only  of  an  unintelligible  jargon,  or,  rather,  of  a 
mere  succession  of  vocables,  which  the  dancers  murmur. 
X  Unlike  the  rutubiiri,  the   vumari   soon   becomes  tire- 

some, in  spite  of  its  greater  animation,  ^'et  the  spec- 
tacle has  something  weird  in  it,  especiall)'  when  seen  by 
the  fitful  flicker  of  the  lire,  which  throws  a  fantastic 
light  upon  the  grotesque  figures,  like  goblins  moving 
about  on  the  same  space.  Many  mothers  carry  their 
slee])ing  infants  on  their  backs.  Sometimes,  the  blanket 
which  supports  the  babv  loosens,  and  the  little  thing 
hano-s  half  out  of  it,  followingr  every  movement  of  the 
])arent. 

At  most  feasts  both  these  dances  are  performed,  and 
the  Indians  themselves  consider  them  to  have  the  same 
general  purpose.  It  is,  therefore,  not  easy  to  see  the 
relation  of  the  two  dances  to  each  other.  Rutuburi  is 
the  more  serious  dance,  and  is  more  efficacious  than 
yumari,  though  the  latter,  of  course,  has  its  own  special 
value  ;  for  instance,  it  expresses  a  praver  that  the  shaman 
may  have  strength  to  cure.  In  \-umaii,  all  sing  And  ilance, 
and  very  frequenth'  all  the  ])eifornu  is  are  drunk,  while 
during  the  former  dance  absolute  decorum  is  observed. 
Both  dances  are  for  the  sun  and  the  moon — rutuburi,  in 
order  to  call  them  down  ;  \umari,  to  desj^atch  them. 
Therefore,  the  usual  dancing-feasts  commence  with  rutu- 
buri.     W'hen  the   function   is  about  to  l)e  concluded,  an 


CEREMONY    OF   THE  SACRIFICE         343 

hour  or  two  before  sunrise,  yumari  is  commenced,  and 
leads  over  to  the  second  part  of  the  festival,  the  eating 
and  drinking.  After  this,  yumari  may  be  continued 
throughout  the  day,  while  the  Indians  get  drunk.  Rutu- 
buri  is  also  danced  at  thanksgiving  for  the  harvest,  while 
on  such  occasions  yumari  asks  for  a  good  year  to  come. 
Then,  again,  rutuburi  may  be  danced  throughout  the  day, 
and  yumari  at  night ;  but  generally  the  former  dance  com- 
mences soon  after  sunset.  On  one  occasion,  while  I  was 
waiting  for  the  performance  to  begin,  the  son  of  the 
house,  in  answer  to  my  query,  pointed  to  the  sky,  and 
told  me  that  the  dance  would  not  commence  until  the 
Pleiades  reached  a  certain  spot  in  the  heavens,  which 
I  calculated  to  mean  about  eleven  o'clock.  This  in- 
dicated that  the  stars  have  some  connection  with  the 
dancing. 

At  the  break  of  dawn  busy  hands  begin  to  get  every- 
thing ready  for  the  great  ceremony  of  the  sacrifice. 
For  several  days  the  women  of  the  household  and  their 
friends  have  been  making  tortillas  and  boiling  beans 
and  tamales  (small  quantities  of  unsalted  ground 
corn,  wrapped  and  boiled  in  corn-husks).  An  animal 
was  killed  on  the  preceding  day,  and  the  meat  has 
been  boihng  (without  salt)  in  large  jars  all  day  and  all 
night.  Tata  Dios  does  not  like  bones,  therefore  no 
bones  are  cooked  with  this  meat.  Several  of  the  wom- 
en have  been  dividing  their  time  between  dancing  and 
watching  the  food-supply,  to  guard  it  against  mishap 
from  any  source.  A  blanket  is  spread  underneath,  just 
to  the  west  of  the  cross,  or  the  three  crosses,  as  the  case 
may  be,  and  on  it  in  a  line  they  place  the  jars  of  tes- 
vino ;  behind  these  are  set  three  small  earthenware 
bowls  filled  with  the  stringy  mass  of  the  meat ;  then 
come  three  baskets  of  tortillas;  and  finally  three  little 
jars  with  wooden   spoons  in  each  are  brought  on  and 


"V 


344  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

put  in  their  proper  places,  hchiiul  the  rest  of  the  food. 
The  hitter  vessels  contain  niedicines  to  be  taken,  for  the 
welfare  of  the  people  is  looked  after  from  every  point 
of  view. 

In  the  meantime  the  dancing  goes  on  with  undimin- 
ished force.  Nearly  every  night  during  the  dry  season, 
for  nobod}'  knows  how  many  centuries,  the  Morning 
Star  has  been  looking  down  upon  his  sons,  the  Tarahu- 
mares,  as  they  dance  in  the  heart  of  the  sierra,  casting 
his  last  rays  u})on  the  weird  scene  around  their  dying 
fires  before  he  llees  from  the  approaching  keeper  of  the 
dav.  Just  before  the  first  beam  of  the  rosy  light  an- 
nounces the  coming  of  Father  Sun,  the  dancing  ceases, 
and  the  rattles  are  added  to  the  sacrificial  offerings  on 
the  blanket.  Everybody  now  is  ready  to  do  homage  to 
the  deity  about  to  appear  above  the  horizon.  The  sha- 
man greets  him  with  the  words,  "  Behold,  Nonoru- 
gami  is  coming  !  "  and  then  solemnly  proceeds  toward 
the  cross,  while  the  people  form  a  line  behind  him  and 
preserve  a  respectful  silence  throughout  the  ensuing 
ceremony.  He  fills  a  large  drinking-gourd  with  tes- 
vino,  and,  holding  it  in  his  left  hand,  throws  a  small  dip- 
perful  of  the  liquor  with  his  right  hand  into  the  air, 
three  times  to  each  cardinal  point,  making  the  ceremo> 
nial  circuit.  Then  the  meat  and  the  tortillas  are  sac- 
rificed in  the  following  way  :  The  shaman  takes  up 
from  the  ground  the  vessel  in  front  of  him,  and  lifts  it 
three  times  toward  heaven.  Then  with  his  fingers  he 
takes  up  a  little  meat,  offers  it  to  the  cross  with  the 
word  "Koa!"  (Eat),  and  throws  it  up  into  the  air. 
Next  he  breaks  off  a  small  piece  of  tortilla,  and  repeats 
the  same  ceremony.  Thus  he  sacrifices  to  all  the  car- 
dinal points.  The  two  assistants  of  the  shaman  follow^ 
their  [)rincijial  in  every  act  he  performs. 

The  solemnity  of  the  scene  is  l)y  no  means  impaired 


Sacrificing  Tesvino  aUcr  a  Vuniari  Dance.       The  L  ru.-s  \n  a.-,  on  tl 
with  a  Coloured  Handkerchief. 


NONORUGAMI  347 

by  the  numerous  dogs,  whieh  are  gathering  to  see  what 
they  can  snatch  up.  Of  course,  the  people  drive  them 
away,  but  in  the  end  ihey  always  get  Nonorugami's  share 
of  the  food,  while  the  god  is  supposed  to  eat  only  the 
nourishing  substance. 

Wliat  is  left  in  the  jars  or  bowls  after  the  sacrifice 
is  placed  back  on  the  blanket  under  the  cross.  The 
broth  of  the  meat,  too,  is  sacrificed,  and  so  is  the  blood 
of  the  animal  that  has  been  killed  for  the  feast. 

Whenever  the  shaman  returns  to  the  people  after 
performing  the  sacrifice,  he  says,  "This  was  done  on 
behalf  of  Nonorugami,"  and  all  the  people  respond  : 
"Matetrava!  Matetrava  !  Kalahupo  ! "  (Thank  you! 
Thank  you  !     It  is  all  right  !) 

When  the  gods  have  had  their  share  of  the  tesvino 
and  the  food,  the  curing  begins.  The  medicines  are 
cold  infusions  of  different  medicinal  plants.  The  shaman 
standing  directly  in  front  of  the  middle  cross,  takes  up 
the  jar  containing  the  chief  medicine,  palo  hediondo  ; 
his  assistant  to  the  north  takes  up  the  bowl  containing 
a  root  called  ohnoa  ;  and  the  one  on  the  south  maguey 
water.  After  having  duly  sacrificed  to  the  gods,  the 
great  shaman  himself  takes  three  spoonfuls  of  the 
medicine,  and  gives  the  same  quantity  to  his  assistant 
to  the  north,  who  in  turn  first  takes  his  remedy  and 
then  gives  some  to  the  shaman.  In  the  same  way 
the  latter  exchanges  with  his  assistant  to  the  south, 
and  then  the  two  assistants  exchange  remedies.  The 
bowls  are  then  handed  by  the  shaman  to  the  owner 
of  the  house,  who  in  turn  passes  them  on  to  the  first 
man  in  the  row,  and  from  him  they  go  from  hand 
to  hand  to  the  last  man  in  the  line,  each  man  taking 
three  spoonfuls  out  of  each  bowl,  while  each  of  the 
women  gets  four.  The  man  who  drinks  last  gives  the 
bowls  back   to   the   owner   of  the   house,   who   in    turn 


348  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

hands  thcni  to  the  shaman,  wht)  puts  them  l)ack  on  the 
blanket  underneath  the  eross.  Meanwhile  the  incense- 
burners  have  been  filled  with  hot  coals,  on  which  tiie 
shaman  now  throws  some  copal,  the  smoke  of  which  he 
waves  over  all  the  people.  Ele,  as  well  as  the  other 
men,  open  their  blankets  a  little  to  j^et  the  smoke  on 
their  bodies.  This  finishes  the  curino;  act,  and  now  a 
speech  is  made.  At  private  festivals  the  shaman  is  the 
orator  of  the  occasion,  but  at  communal  or  tribal  fes- 
tivals the  orobernador  is  expected  to,  and  ijenerally  does, 
perform  this  part  of  the  proceedino;s.  Rhetoric  is  one 
of  the  accomplishments  of  the  Tarahumares,  though  it 
is  not  to  be  judged  in  accordance  with  the  white  man's 
standard.  Here  is  a  speech  made  by  the  gobernatior  at 
the  end  of  one  of  the  feasts  I  witnessed  : 

Listen  to  me  !  Stand  up  in  a  row  and  listen  to 
what  1  have  to  tell  you.  All  of  you  stand  up  in  line, 
men,  women,  and  children,  because  I  am  going  to  give 
you  my  words,  to  present  to  you  the  words  which  the 
One  Above  bids  me  to  tell  you.  Now  all  is  over  ! 
We  have  done  something  good  to  Tata  Dios,  and  he 
has  given  you  life  to  dance  ;  and  now  he  is  giving  you 
life  for  another  year.  All  of  you  will  hav^e  to  make 
feasts  like  this.  You  have  no  experience  ;  therefore 
listen  to  me  and  hear  what  I  have  to  tell  you.  If  you 
do  not  believe  what  I  am  telling  you,  the  Devil  will 
carry  you  off.  Vou  all  are  inexperienced,  all  of  \()U 
who  are  standing  here  in  a  row  around.  Be  quiet,  and 
do  all  your  business  quietly.  Drink  quietly,  talk  (piiet- 
ly,  sing '^quietly.  And  do  not  fight,  because  if  in  the 
fight  you  kill  somebody,  what  will  xou  have  afterward? 
Nothing  but  sorrow  and  sadness  !  The  One  who  is 
above  us  bids  me  to  tell  you,  to  say  to  all  of  you,  men, 
women,  and  children,  that  this  water,  this  tesvino  that 
we  are  drinking  is  what  makes  us  lose  our  heads.  \'ou 
know  it  all,  and  the  One  Above  knows  that  this  is  the 
truth   that    I    am    telling  you.      Don't    fight,   don't   pull 


TAKAHLMAKE  OKATOKY 


349 


each  other's  hair,  don't  beat  anyone  in  the  face  until  he 
bleeds.  For  the  blood  and  the  hair  belong  to  Tata 
Dios,  and  you  pull  his  hair  and  shed  his  blood.  Drink 
tesyino  to  your  hearts'  content,  get  much  drunk,  but 
then  lie  down  and  sleep,  and  in  the  morning  you  return 
to  your  homes  without  coming  to  blows  \yith  anyone. 

All  the  time  the  speech   is  punctuated  with  expres- 
sions of  approval,  and  at  the  end  they  all  say  :  "  Mate- 


Ready  to  Begin  Eating  and  Drinking  after  a  Night's  Dancing  ot  Rutuburi. 

traya  !    Matetraya  !    Kalahupo  !  "     (Thank   you!   Thank 
you  !     It  is  all  right !) 

A  speech  is  also  often  made  in  the  beginning  of  the 
feast,  when  much  the  same  sentiments  are  expressed. 
The  orator  tells  the  people  to  follow  the  good  example 
of  the  host,  that  sacrificing  and  dancing  may  go  on 
here,  there,  and  eyerywhere,  so  that  the  gods  will  get 
plenty  to  eat  and  grant  the  prayers  of  the  Tarahumares. 


3^o  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

He  strongly  admonishes  thcni  to  keep  away  from 
women,  as  otherwise  the  value  of  the  feast  would  be 
lost.  This  day  belongs  to  Tata  Dios,  and  nothing  else 
is  to  be  thought  of.  If  anyone  transgresses  this  com- 
mand, he  will  have  to  give  an  ox  or  a  sheep  and  tes- 
vino,  to  make  the  feast  all  over  again. 

While  the  dancing  and  singing,  sacrificing  and 
speechmaking,  are  going  on,  the  people  behave  with  de- 
corous solemnity  and  formality.  The  ceremonies  are 
never  interrupted  by  unseemly  conduct ;  everybody  de- 
ports himself  with  grave  sobriety,  and  refrains  from  loud 
talking  and  laughing  and  from  making  any  disrespectful 
noise.  But  after  the  gods  have  been  given  their  share, 
the  people  go  in,  no  less  energetically,  for  enjoying 
themselves. 

Food  and  tesvino  are  never  distributed  by  the  same 
man,  nor  are  men  and  women  waited  on  by  the  same 
functionary  ;  in  other  words,  one  man  is  appointed  for 
each  sex,  to  dispense  the  tesvino,  and  two  others  to 
serve  the  food. 

They  eat  but  little  of  the  solids,  as  it  is  customary  for 
the  guests  to  take  home  their  portions,  the  women  bring- 
ing jars  and  baskets  along  for  the  purpose.  Little  or 
nothing  of  the  tesvino  is  spared,  and  it  is  the  avowed 
intention  and  aim  of  everybody  to  get  "  a  beautiful  in- 
toxication." They  all  like  to  get  drunk.  An  India  i 
explained  to  me  that  the  drunken  people  weep  with 
delight,  because  they  are  so  j)erfectly  happy.  Every 
Tarahumare  has  in  his  heart  a  cross  which  Tata  Dios 
placed  there  long,  long  ago,  and  this  cross  they  respect. 
When  drunk  they  remember  Tata  Dios  better.  At  their 
feasts  they  sit  alongside  of  him  and  drink  with  him. 
The  women  sit  alongside  of  the  Moon  and  remember 
ancient  1  imcs. 

P>ut    unfortunately  this  blissfid  stage  of  their  intoxi- 


THE   FLOWING   BOWL  351 

cation  docs  not  last  long,  and  thcMi  the  animal  nature  in 
them  manifests  itself.  Under  the  iniluence  of  the  liq- 
uor, men  and  women  rapidly  lose  that  bashfulness  and 
modesty  which  in  ordinary  life  arc  such  characteristic 
traits  of  their  deportment.  Furthermore,  whatever 
grudge  one  man  may  have  against  another  now  crops 
out,  and  very  likely  a  fight  will  ensue,  in  which  the 
two  opponents  recklessly  pull  each  other's  hair  and 
punch  each  other's  faces.  Sometimes  in  such  an  out- 
break of  unreasoning  animalism  one  of  the  combatants 
will  seize  a  stone  and  batter  the  other  one's  head  to 
crush  it.  Afterward,  when  sober  again,  the  murderer 
may  deeply  deplore  his  deed — if  he  remembers  it  at  all. 

Mothers,  when  overcome  by  the  spirit  of  the  feast, 
may  unawares  allow  their  babies  to  fall  out  of  the  blan- 
kets and  into  the  fire.  Children  may  frequently  be 
seen  with  bruises  and  scars  which  they  carry  as  memen- 
toes of  some  tesvino  feast.  I  know  one  man  who  had 
no  hair  on  one  side  of  his  head,  having  when  a  child 
been  a  victim  of  such  an  accident.  But  seldom,  if  ever, 
is  a  child  allowed  to  become  fatally  injured. 

Taking  it  all  in  all,  it  is  a  good-natured,  jolly,  silly 
crowd,  out  for  a  good  time  and  enjoying  themselves. 
All  are  good  friends,  and  familiarity  becomes  unlimited. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  those  still  able  to  walk  start  on 
their  way  home.  Rarely,  however,  can  they  reach  their 
domiciles,  if  these  are  any  distance  off,  before  nature  en- 
forces her  rights ;  and  the  track  is  strewn  with  men 
and  women,  who,  overcome  with  the  effects  of  their 
spree,  have  lain  down  wherever  they  happened  to  be,  to 
sleep  themselves  sober.  Tarahumare  society  has  not  yet 
advanced  far  enough  to  see  anything  disgraceful  in  de- 
bauches of  this  kind,  which,  if  viewed  from  their  stand- 
point, are  pro  bono  publico  ;  and  we  ourselves  need  go 
back  only  to  our  grandfathers'  and  great-grandfathers' 


352  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

time  to  fintl  that  inebriety  was  nut  at  all  inconsistent 
with  good  morals  and  high  standing.  Moreover,  no 
matter  how  often  the  Taiahumares  indulge  in  such  sat- 
urnalia, as  soon  as  they  recover  their  senses  they  are  as 
decorous  and  solemn  as  ever.  Their  native  stimulant 
does  not  seem  to  affect  eitlier  their  physical  or  their 
mental  faculties,  and,  all  scientific  theories  to  the  con- 
trary, their  children  are  strong,  health v,  and  bright. 

Aside  from  social  and  religious  considerations,  the 
drinking  of  tesvino  is  a  vital  factor  in  the  national  life  of 
the  tribe.  Incredible  as  it  may  sound,  yet,  after  pro- 
longed and  careful  research  into  this  interesting  psycho- 
logical i)roblem,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  slate  that  in  the 
ordinary  course  of  his  existence  the  uncivilised  Tara- 
humare  is  too  bashful  and  modest  to  enforce  his  matri- 
monial rights  and  privileges  ;  and  that  by  means  of  tes- 
vino chietiy  the  race  is  kept  alive  and  increasing.  It  is 
especially  at  the  feasts  connected  with  the  agricultural 
work  that  sexual  promiscuity  takes  place. 

A  large  gathering  is  not  necessary  in  order  to  pray 
to  the  gods  by  dancing.  Sometimes  the  family  dances 
alone,  the  father  teaching  the  boys.  While  doing  agri- 
cultural work,  the  Indians  often  depute  one  man  to 
dance  yumari  near  the  house,  while  the  others  attend  to 
the  work  in  the  fields.  It  is  a  curious  sight  to  see  a  lone 
man  taking  his  devotional  exercise  to  the  tune  of  his 
rattle  in  front  of  an  api)arently  deserted  dwelling.  The 
lonely  worshipper  is  doing  his  share  of  the  general  work 
by  l)ringing  down  the  fructifying  rain  and  by  warding 
off  disaster,  wiiile  the  rest  of  the  family  and  their  friends 
plant,  hoe,  weed,  or  harvest.  In  the  evening,  when  they 
return  from  the  field,  they  may  join  him  for  a  little  while; 
but  often  he  goes  on  alone,  dancing  all  night,  and  singing 
himself  hoarse,  and  the  Indians  told  me  that  this  is  the 
very  hardest  kind  of  work,  and  exhausting  even  to  them. 


VARIOUS    DANCES  353 

Solitary  worshij)  is  also  obsci\Ld  by  men  who  go 
out  hunting  deer  or  squirrels  for  a  communal  feast. 
Every  one  of  them  dances  yumari  alone  in  front  of  liis 
house  for  two  hours  to  insure  success  on  the  hunt ;  and 
when  putting  corn  to  sprout  for  the  making  of  tesvino 
the  owner  of  the  house  dances  for  a  while,  that  the 
corn  may  sprout  well. 

In  certain  parts  of  the  country,  near  Aboreachic,  for 
instance,  a  dance  called  valixiwami  is  in  vogue.  Here 
the  line  of  the  women  faces  that  of  the  men,  and  the  two 
rows  dance  backward  and  forward,  following  each  other 
all  the  time. 

In  a  dance  called  cuvali,  which  is  found  still  further 
south,  the  movements  are  the  same  as  in  the  dance  just 
mentioned,  but  the  steps  are  different.  It  is  danced  for 
the  same  reason  as  rutuburi  is,  and  it  makes  the  grass 
and  the  fungi  grow  and  the  deer  and  the  rabbits  multi- 
plv.     This  is  the  only  dance  known  to  the  Tepehuanes. 

In  the  winter  they  dance  for  snow,  a  dance  called 
yohe  ;  and  finally  there  is  a  dance  called  ayena,  which 
calls  the  clouds  from  the  north  and  south  that  they 
may  clash  and  produce  rain. 

I  was  present  at  feasts  in  which  four  of  these  dances 
were  performed,  and  the  order  in  which  they  followed 
each  other  was  :  Rutuburi,  yumari,  valixiwami,  cuvali. 

According  to  one  version  of  the  tradition,  both 
vumari  and  rutuburi  were  once  men  who  taught  the 
Tarahumares  to  dance  and  sing.  They  live  with  Father 
Sun.  Valixiwami  and  cuvali  w^ere  also  men  and  com- 
panions of  the  former,  but  much  younger. 

At  certain  feasts  for  the  benefit  of  the  moon,  three 
cigarettes  are  offered  under  the  cross.  The  shaman 
takes  one  of  them,  gives  a  puff,  raising  the  cigarette  at 
the  same  time  upward  toward  the  moon  and  saying : 
"Sua"  (rise)  "  vami"  (yonder)  "  repa  "  (upward).     This 

Vol.  I. — 2-; 


3^-4  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

is  repeated  three  times.  1  he  master  of  the  house  and 
his  wife  do  the  same.  The  ceremony  is  performed 
in  order  to  helj)  tiie  moon  to  mai-ce  clouds.  Now  all 
present  may  smoke.  Vhv  Tarahumare  never  smokes  in 
the  middle  of  the  dav  ;  he  would  offend  the  sun  by 
so  doino-.  He  indulire'S  in  the  "  weed"  mostlv  at  feasts 
when  drunk.  When  an  Indian  offers  another  man  to- 
bacco and  a  drv  corndeaf  to  loll  his  cigarette  it  is  a  sign 
that  everything  is  well  between  them. 

Every  year  between  March  and  Ma\  a  large  perform- 
''^  ance  takes  place  on  a  special  patio  in  the  woods.  Its 
]:)urj)ose  is  to  cure  or  jirevent  disease,  and  much  tesvino 
is  consumed.  A  straw-man,  about  two  feet  high,  dressed 
in  cotton  drawers,  and  with  a  handkerchief  tied  around 
its  head  is  set  up  next  to  the  cross.  It  represents  Fa- 
ther Sun,  and  the  cross  is  his  wife,  the  Moon.  Some- 
times a  stuffed  recamiichi  (cacomistle,  bassari'scKs)  is 
used  either  in  the  place  of  a  straw-man  or  in  addition  to 
it.  After  the  feast  is  over,  the  manikin  is  taken  to  the 
place  from  which  the  straw  was  obtained,  in  order  to 
make  the  grass  grow.  The  (christian  'rarahinnares  keep 
it  in  the  sacristy  of  their  church. 

The  latter  also  celebrate  Christmas,  and  on  this  oc- 
casion some  of  them,  the  so-called  Diaiacliincs^  paint 
their  faces  and  carry  on  tiieir  backs  stuffed  animals,  such 
as  the  grey  fox,  squirrel,  oi-  opossum,  while  dancing  to 
the  music  of  the  violin.  Thev  jokmglv  call  the  skins 
then-  DiHchachitos,  and  hold  them  as  women  carrv  th(Mr 
babies.  At  present  the  onlv  object  is  to  make  tlu'  be- 
holder laugh  ;  but  of  course  the  |)lav  is  a  renmant  of 
some  ancient  custom,  the  meaning  of  which  is  now  for- 
gotten through  the  new  associations  with  which  the  mis- 
sionaries of  old  imbued  the  ceremonies  and  rites  found 
among  t  he  pagans. 

A   similar   suggestion    of   antiiiuitv    is   unmistakably 


ANTIQUITY    Ob    DANCES  ^^$ 

embodied  in  the  deer  masks,  as  well  as  in  the  heads  with 
antlers  attaehed,  whieh  the  same  men  also  may  wear. 

During  Easter  week  live  rattlesnakes  are  carried 
about,  but  the  heads  of  the  reptiles  are  tied  together  so 
that  they  can  do  no  harm.  One  man  may  have  as 
many  as  four  serpents  with  him. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

PLAXT-WORSHIP — IIIKLI.I INTERNAL     AND     EXTERNAL     EFFECTS 

llIKLLl     BOTH     NL\N     AND     GOD HOW     THE     TARAHUMARES    OB- 
TAIN   THE    PLANT,   AND    WHERE    THEV    KEEP    IT THE    TARAHU- 

MARE     HIKULI     FEAST MUSICAL     INSTRUMENTS — HIK.ULI     LIKES 

NOISE THE     DANCE HIKULl's     DEPARTURE     IN     THE     MORNING 

OTHER    KINDS     OF    CACTI    WORSHIPPED "  DOCTOR  "     RUBIO, 

THE     GREAT     HIKULI     EXPERT THE    AGE    OF    HIKULI    WORSHIP. 

TO  the  Indian,  c\ciything  in  nature  is  alive.  Plants, 
like  human  beinijs,  have  souls,  otherwise  they  could 
not  live  and  orow.  Manv  are  supposed  to  talk  and  sing 
and  to  feel  jov  and  pain.  For  instance,  when  in  winter 
the  pine-trees  are  stiff  with  cold,  thev  weep  and  pray  to 
the  sun  to  shine  and  make  them  warm.  When  anoered 
or  insulted,  the  plants  take  their  revenge.  Those  that 
are  supposed  to  possess  curative  ])owers  arc  venerated. 
This  fact,  however,  does  not  save  them  from  being  cut 
into  pieces  and  steej^ed  in  water,  which  the  people  af- 
terward drink  or  use  in  washing  themselves.  The  mere 
fragrance  of  liic  lil\-  is  supposed  to  cure  sickness  and  to 
drive  off  sorcery.  In  invoking  the  lilv's  helj)  the  sha- 
man utters  a  pra\ir  like  this  : 

"  Suinati  okilivca  saiva         rako  cheeneserovd 

"  IJcautitul      lliis  morning     in  l)l()()in        lily         thou  guard  me! 

waminamela  ke  usugiti'ianii  clieeolsh^loaya 

drive  them  away     (those  who)  make  sorcery  !  thou  make  me 

grow  old  ! 

cheeHveva  tesola  chapimehiva  otsheloa 

thou  give  me  walking-stick  (to)  take  up  (in)  old  age 

rimivelava  Matetrava  Sevaxoa 

(that    1    may)    Ihul  !  thanks  exiiale  fragrance 


wiln^ova  ! 
standintr  !  " 


356 


HIKULI    CULTS 


397 


Echinocactus. 


("Beautiful  lily,  in  blooui  this  inornini;,  guard  me!  Drive 
away  sorcery  !  Make  me  grow  old  !  Let  me  reach  the  age  at 
which  I  have  to  take  up  a  walking-stick!  I  thank  thee  for  exhaling 
thy  fragrance  there,  where  thou  art  standing  !  ") 

High  mental  qualities  are  aserihcd  especially  to  all 
species  of  Maniuiilaria  and  Echinocactus,  small  cacti, 
for  which  a  regular  cult  is  in- 
stituted. The  Tarahumares  des- 
ignate several  varieties  as  hikuli, 
though  the  name  belongs  prop- 
erly only  to  the  kind  most  com- 
monly used  by  them.  These 
plants  live  for  months  after 
they  have  been  rooted  up,  and 
the  eatino-  of  them  causes  a 
state  of  ecstas}^  They  are  there- 
fore considered  dcmi-gods,  who 
have  to  be  treated  with  great 
reverence,  and   to  w^hom    sacrifices   have  to  be  offered. 

The  principal  kinds  thus  distinguished  are  known  to 
science  as  Lophophoi-a  William siidiVi^  LophopJwra  IVil- 
liamsii,  var.  Lcwinii.  In  the  United  States  they  are  called 
mescal  buttons,  and  in  Mexico /n'<?/^.  The  Tarahumares 
speak  of  them  as  the  superior  hikuli  (hikuli  waname),  or 
simply  hikuli.  they  being  the  hikuli  par  excellence. 

The  Huichol  Indians,  who  live  many  hundred  miles 
south  of  the  Tarahumares,  also  have  a  hikuli  cult,  and 
it  is  a  curious  and  interesting  fact  that  with  them 
the  plant  has  even  the  same  name,  although  the  two 
tribes  are  neither  related  to  nor  connected  with  each 
other.  The  cults,  too,  show  many  points  of  resem- 
blance, though  with  the  southern  tribe  the  plant  plays 
a  far  more  important  part  in  the  tribal  life,  and  its 
worship  is  much  more  elaborate.  On  the  other  hand, 
the    Huichols   use  only  the  species  and  variety  shown 


3^8 


UNKNOWN  MEXICO 


in  llu'  illiistralion,  while  tin-  Taraluiinarcs  have  several. 
Major  I.  H.  l^>n(i,  of  New  N'oik.  informs  nic  that 
in  Texas,  during  tlie  Civil  War,  the  so-called  Texas 
Rangers,  when  taken  {prisoners  and  de{)rived  of  all  other 


/:>^^f^R  #?^'|;  :i^^ 


Lophophora  Williamsii,  var.  Lewinii.  LophopJiora  Williamsii. 

Hikuli  or  Peyote,  the  principal  sacred  cacti.      Nearly  natural  size. 

Stimulating  drinks,  used  mescal  buttons,  or  "  white 
mule,"  as  they  called  them.  They  soaked  the  plants  in 
water  and  became  intoxicated  with  the  liquid. 

The  plant,  when  taken,  exhilarates  the  human  svs- 
tem,  and  allays  all  feeling-  of  hunger  and  thirst.  It  also 
produces  colour-visions.  When  fresh,  it  has  a  nauseating, 
slightly  sour  taste,  but  it  is  wonderfidlv  refreshing  when 
one  has  been  exposed  to  great  fatigue.  Not  onlv  does 
it  do  awa\  with  all  exhaustion,  but  one  feels  aetuallv 
])ushed  on,  as  1  can  testif\'  from  j)ersonal  exj^erience. 
In  this  respect  it  resembles  the  Peruvian  coca;  but  un- 
like the  latter,  it  leaves  a  certain  dei)ression,  as  well  as  a 
headache.  Although  an  Indian  feels  as  if  drunk  after 
eating  a  quantitv  of   hikuli.  and   the  trees  dance   before 


EFFECTS    OF    HIKULI 


359 


his  eyes,  he  maintains  the  balance  of  liis  hod}'  even  het- 
ter  than  under  normal  conditions,  and  he  will  walk 
alon<^  the  edi^e  of  {)i"ieij)iees  without  becoming-  dizzy. 
i\t  their  nocturnal  feasts,  when  drinking;  heavily  of  both 
tesvino  and  hikuli,  many  persons  may  be  seen  to  weep 
and  laugh  alternately.  Another  marked  effect  of  the 
plant  is  to  take  away  temporarily  all  sexual  desire. 
This  fact,  no  doubt,  is  the  reason  why  the  Indians,  by  a 
curious  aboriginal  mode  of  reasoning,  impose  abstinence 
from  sexual  intercourse  as  a  necessary  part  of  the  hikuli 
cult. 

The  effect  of  the  plant  is  so  much  enjoyed  by  the 
Tarahumares  that  they   attribute   to   it    power  to  give 


Dry  Hikuli. 

health  and  long  life  and  to  purify  body  and  soul.  The 
little  cacti,  either  fresh  or  dried,  are  ground  on  the  nic- 
tate, while  being  mixed  with  water  ;  and  this  liquor  is  the 
usual  form  in  wdiich  hikuli  is  consumed. 

Hikuli  is  also  applied  externally  for  snake-bites, 
burns,  wounds,  and  rheumatism ;  for  these  purposes  it  is 
chewed,  or  merely  moistened  in  the  mouth,  and  applied 
to  the  afflicted  part.  Not  only  does  it  cure  disease, 
causing  it  to  run  off,  but  it  also  so  strengthens  the  body 


360  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

thcU  it  can  resist  illness,  and  is  thcrcfoR'  much  used  in 
wardinii"  off  sickness.  Thouiiii  not  ^iven  to  the  dead, 
since  the  dead  are  no  Ioniser  in  need  of  remedies,  hikuli 
is  always  partaken  of  at  the  feasts  of  the  dead. 

Moreover,  hikuli  is  a  powerful  protector  of  its  peo- 
l)le  under  all  circumstances,  and  it  gives  luck.  If  a  man 
carries  soim-  hikuli  in  his  belt,  the  hear  cannot  hite  him 
and  the  deer  cannot  run  away,  but  become  quite  tame 
and  can  easily  be  killed.  Should  he  meet  Apaches, 
hikuli  would  prevent  them  from  iiring  off  their  guns 
at  him.  It  gives  luck  in  foot-races  and  all  kinds  of 
games,  in  climbing  trees,  etc.  Hikuli  is  the  great  safe- 
guard against  witchcraft.  It  sees  even  better  than  the 
shamans,  and  it  watches  that  nothing  bad  is  put  into 
the  food.  The  Christian  Taraluunares,  when  they  partake 
of  hikuli,  think  that  the  devil  runs  out  of  their  stomachs. 
Hikuli  })urifies  any  man  who  is  willing  to  sacrifice  a 
sheep  and  to  make  native  beer.  There  is,  however,  no 
remedy  for  a  murderer  ;  not  even  hikuli  can  cure  him. 

The  Christian  Tarahumares  make  the  sign  of  the 
cross  when  coming  into  the  presence  of  the  plant,  and  I 
was  told  to  lift  my  hat  to  it.  It  is  always  saluted  in  the 
same  way  as  a  man,  and  is  suj^posed  to  make  the  cus- 
tomary responses  to  the  saliuations.  Ilikuli  is  not  as 
great  as  Father  Sun,  but  sits  next  to  him.  It  is  the 
brother  of  Tata  Dios ;  and  the  greatest  hikidi  is  his  twin 
brother,  and  is  therefore  called  uncle. 

Sometimes  these  plants  are  dressed  up  in  j)icces  of 
blankets,  and  cigarettes  are  ])laced  before  them.  Hoys 
must  not  touch  hikidi,  and  women  onlv  wlu'n  thev  act 
as  the  shaman's  assistants  and  have  to  grind  it.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  onlv  shamans  can  handle  it  jiroperlv.  and 
even  thev  wash  \\\v\y  hands  carefidlw  and  sometimes 
elect  not  to  touch  it  at  all,  making  use  of  little  sticks 
mstead   of  their   lingers.      Certain  shamans  washed  their 


CARE   OF   THE    PLANT  sfn 

hands  and  rinsed  tiicir  moulhs  ininicdialcly  after  eating 
from  my  vessels,  because  hikuli  would  be  angry  with 
them  for  eating  strange  food  cooked  by  strange  people. 

Hikuli  is  not  kept  in  the  house,  because  it  is 
extremelv  virtuous,  and  mic'ht  become  offended  at  the 
sight  of  anything  immodest.  It  is  placed  in  a  special  jar 
or  basket,  in  a  separate  store-house,  and  is  never  taken 
out  until  tesvino  and  meat  have  been  offered  to  it.  If 
this  were  neglected,  it  would  eat  the  Indian's  soul.  If 
anything  happens  to  hikuli — for  instance,  if  irreverent 
mice  eat  it — the  owner  fears  that  he  may  be  made  crazy 
as  a  punishment  for  his  failure  to  guard  it.  If  anyone 
should  steal  hikuli,  he  would  be  sure  to  go  crazy,  unless 
he  returned  the  plant  to  its  original  owner.  He  must 
also  kill  an  ox  and  make  a  big  feast,  in  order  to  set  him- 
self right  again  with  the  mighty  god  and  with  the  people. 

After  four  years,  hikuli  grows  old  and  mouldy, 
and  loses  its  virtues.  It  is  then  buried  in  a  corner  of 
the  cave  or  the  house,  or  taken  to  the  place  where  it 
came  from,  and  fresh  plants  are  obtained  instead.  Ac- 
cording to  tradition,  when  Tata  Dios  went  to  heaven 
in  the  beginning  of  the  world,  he  left  hikuli  behind  as 
the  great  remedy  of  the  people.  Hikuli  has  four  faces 
and  sees  everything.  Its  power  is  well  shown  in  the 
following  myth  : 

The  Bear  in  a  cave  said  to  Hikuli,  "  Let  us  fight  and 
let  us  first  smoke  over  there."  They  smoked  and  they 
fought,  and  Hikuli  was  stronger  than  the  Bear.  When 
Hikuli  threw  the  Bear  down,  all  the  wind  went  out 
of  the  Bear  ;  but  the  Bear  said  again,  "  Let  us  smoke  and 
let  us  fight  a  few  times  more."  And  they  did  so,  and 
Hikuli  again  threw  down  the  Bear,  and  the  Bear  seated 
himself  on  a  stone  and  wept,  and  went  away,  and  never 
returned. 

Hikuli  is  not  inditrenous  to  the  Tarahumare  country 


362  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

of  to-dav.  T(j  ul)lain  il  Ioiil:,  and  uiuil  rccrnily  j)cril()us 
journeys  have  to  he  undertaken  every  year  to  the  phiteaus 
of  eastern  Cliihuahua,  in  the  Sierra  del  Aimolow  near  the 
raihoad  station  of  Ximenez,  and  to  the  Sierra  de  Margoso, 
beyond  Santa  Rosaha  de  Camarga,  crossincr  the  tracks 
of  the  Mexican  Central  Railroad.  From  two  or  three 
to  a  do7X'n  men  start  out  to  get  the  plants,  tirst  i)urif\- 
ing  themselves  with  copal  incense.  It  takes  a  week 
or  ten  days  to  get  to  the  Sierra  de  Margoso,  where  the 
plants  are  chieflv  found,  and  about  a  month  is  con- 
sumed on  the  entire  journew  lentil  ihev  reach  the 
hikuli  countr\-,  the  Tarahumares  may  eat  anything  ; 
but  once  there,  they  must  abstain  from  ever\  thing  ex- 
cept pinole.  Upon  arriving  at  the  spot,  the  pilgrims 
erect  a  cross,  and  near  it  thev  })laee  the  first  plants 
taken  uj),  that  these  mav  tell  where  others  may  be 
found  in  plenty.  The  second  batch  of  plants  gathered 
is  eaten  raw,  and  makes  the  men  drunk.  As  speech  is 
forbidden,  thev  lie  down  in  silence  and  sleep.  The  fol- 
lowing dav,  when  perfectly  sober  again,  thev  begin  early 
in  the  morning  to  collect  the  plants,  taking  them  uj)  with 
the  utmost  care,  by  means  of  sticks,  so  as  not  to  touch  or 
injure  them,  because  hikuli  would  get  angry  and  punish 
'  the  offender. "Two  days  are  spent  in  gathering  the  plants, 
each  kind  being  ])laced  in  a  separate  bag,  because,  if  thev 
were  mixed  together,  they  would  fight.  The  bags  are 
carefully  carried  on  the  backs  of  the  men,  as  the  Tarahu- 
mares generally  have  no  horses. 

In  the  field  in  which  it  grows,  it  sings  beaut ifullv, 
that  the  Taraliumare  ma\'  lind  it.  It  savs,  "  I  want  to 
go  to  your  countr\',  that  you  mav  sing  your  songs  to 
me."  It  also  sings  in  the  bag  while  it  is  being  carried 
home.  One  man,  who  wanted  to  use  his  bag  as  a  ])il- 
low,  could  not  sleej),  he  said,  because  the  j)lants  made 
so  much  noise. 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   FEASTS  363 

When  the  liikuli-seckcrs  arrive  at  tlieir  homes,  the 
people  turn  out  to  weleome  the  plants  with  music,  and 
a  festival  at  wliich  a  shecj)  or  a  g'oat  is  sacrificed  is  held 
in  their  honour.  On  this  occasion  the  shaman  wears 
necklaces  made  of  the  seeds  of  Coix  Lacliryuia-yobi.  In 
due  time  he  takes  them  off,  and  places  them  in  a  bowl 
containing  water  in  which  the  heart  of  the  mag'uey  has 
been  soaked,  and  after  a  while  everyone  j)resent  gets  a 
spoonful  of  this  water.  The  shaman,  too,  takes  some, 
and  afterward  wears  the  necklaces  again.  Both  plants, 
the  Coix  Lacliryina-yobi  as  well  as  the  maguey,  are 
highly  esteemed  for  their  curative  properties  ;  and  in 
his  songs  the  shaman  describes  hikuli  as  standing  on 
top  of  a  gigantic  seed  of  the  Coix  LacJirynia-Jobi,  as 
big  as  a  mountain. 

The  night  is  passed  in  dancing  hikuli  and  vumari. 
The  pile  of  fresh  plants,  perhaps  two  bushels  or  more, 
is  placed  under  the  cross,  and  sprinkled  with  tesvino, 
for  hikuli  wants  to  drink  beer,  and  if  the  people  should 
not  give  it,  it  would  go  back  to  its  own  country.  Food 
is  also  offered  to  the  plants,  and  even  money  is  placed 
before  them,  perhaps  three  silver  dollars,  which  the  owner, 
after  the  feast,  takes  back  again. 

During  the  vear,  feasts  may  be  held  espcciallv  in 
honour  of  hikuli,  but  generally  the  hikuli  dance  is  per- 
formed simultaneously  with,  though  apart  from,  the  ru- 
tuburi  or  other  dances.  On  such  occasions  some  sha- 
mans devote  themselves  exclusively  to  the  hikuli  cult, 
in  order  that  the  health  of  the  dancers  may  be  pre- 
served, and  that  they  mav  have  vigour  for  their  work. 

The  hikuli  feast  consists  mainly  in  dancing,  which, 
of  course,  is  followed  by  eating  and  drinking,  after  the 
customary  offerings  of  food  and  tesvino  have  been  made 
to  the  gods.  It  is  not  held  on  the  general  dancing- 
place,   in   front  of   the  Tarahumare  dwelling,   but   on   a 


364  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

special  palio.  For  the  occasion  a  level  i)iece  of  ground 
may  be  cleared  of  all  stones  and  rubbish,  and  carefully 
swept  with  the  Indian  broom,  which  is  made  of  a  sheaf 
of  straw  tied  in  the  middle. 

Meanwhile  some  people  <j:^o  into  the  woods  to  ijather 
fuel  for  the  larp^e  fire  which  will  be  needed.  The  hre  is 
an  important  feature  of  the  hikuli-feast,  a  fact  indicated 
bv  the  name,  which  is  na{)itsi)i  nawliruga,  literally,  "mov- 
ino-  (i.e.  tlancing)  around  (nawliruga)  the  fire  (na})itshi )." 
There  seems  to  be  a  preference  for  fallen  trees,  i)ines 
or  oaks,  but  this  may  be  because  thev  are  found  in 
plenty  everywhere,  are  drier  and  l)urn  better,  and  finally 
save  the  men  the  labour  and  time  of  cutting  them  down. 
Quite  a  number  of  such  trunks  are  brought  together, 
and  placed  parallel  to  each  other  in  an  easterly  and  west- 
erly direction  ;  but  not  imlil  after  sunset  is  the  tire 
lighted. 

The  master  of  the  house  in  wliich  the  feast  is  to  be 
held  gives  some  plants  to  two  or  three  women  ap- 
pointed to  the  office  of  shaman's  assistants.  At  an 
ordinary  gathering,  a  dozen  or  two  of  the  ])lants  suffice. 
The  women  are  called  rokon'),  which  means  the  stamen 
of  the  rtower,  while  the  shaman  is  the  pistil.  The  women 
grind  the  plants  with  water  on  the  metate,  and  then 
take  part  in  the  dance.  They  must  wash  their  hantls 
most  carefully  before  touching  them  ;  and  while  they 
are  grinding  a  man  stands  by  with  a  gourd,  to  catch  anv 
stray  drop  of  li(|uor  that  may  drip  from  the  metate,  and 
to  watch  that  nothing  of  the  precious  lluid  is  lost.  Not 
one  dro|)  must  Ix,'  spilled,  anil  e\'en  the  water  with  which 
the  metate  is  afterward  washed,  is  added  to  the  li(]uid. 
The  drink  thus  j^roduced  is  slightly  thick  and  of  a  dirty 
brown  colour. 

The  shaman  (sometimes  there  are  two)  takt'S  his 
seat    on  llic  ground    to    the   west    of  tlie    lire,  about    two 


HIKULI    LIKES   NOISE  365 

yards  off,  i)n  the  opposite  side  of  tlie  dancii\<i^-plaee, 
toward  the  east,  the  cross  is  placed.  The  shaman's  male 
assistants,  at  least  two  in  number,  seat  themselves  on 
either  side  of  their  principal,  while  the  women  helpers 
take  a  position  to  the  north  of  the  tire.  On  one  occa- 
sion 1  observed  that  the  men  grouj)ed  themselves  on 
one  side  of  the  shaman,  tiie  women  on  the  other.  Close 
i)y  the  shaman's  seat  a  hole  is  du^",  into  which  he  or  his 
assistants  may  spit,  after  havin^j;  drunk  or  eaten  hikuli, 
so  that  nothing  may  be  lost.  After  this  improvised  cus- 
pidor has  been  used,  it  is  always  carefully  cov^ered  with 
a  leaf. 

As  soon  as  the  shaman  has  seated  himself,  he  takes 
a  round  drinking-gourd,  and  by  pressing  its  rim  firmlv 
into  the  soil  and  turning  the  vessel  round,  makes  a  cir- 
cular mark.  Lifting  up  the  bowl  again,  he  draws  two 
diametrical  lines  at  right  angles  in  the  circle,  and  thus 
produces  a  symbol  of  the  world. 

In  the  centre  he  puts  a  hikuli,  right  side  up  ;  or  he 
mav  dig  a  hole  in  the  centre,  to  the  depth  of  five  or 
six  inches,  and  place  the  hikuli  in  this.  He  then  covers 
it  up  with  the  gourd,  bottom  up,  so  that  the  plant 
stands  within  a  hollow  sphere.  The  gourd  may  be  re- 
placed by  a  wooden  vessel  of  similar  shape;  but  in  any 
case  it  is  firmlv  planted  in  the  ground  to  serve  as  a  res- 
onator for  the  musical  instrument, — the  notched  stick, 
which  the  shaman  leans  against  the  vessel,  and  on  which 
with  another  stick  he  rasps  an  accompaniment  to  his 
songs.  If  he  does  not  plant  the  gourd  carefully  in  the 
ground,  it  will  make  a  discordant  sound,  which  will  vex 
the  demi-god,  and  he  will  cause  someone  m  the  house  to 
die.  The  noise  produced  bv  the  rasping  is  enjoyed  by 
Hikuli  ;  that  is  why  he  is  placed  beneath  the  bowl. 
He  is  powerful,  and  manifests  his  strength  by  the  noise 
produced. 


366 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


Shaman's 
Notched 

Stick. 
Length, 
75  ctm. 


VT: 


-4 


The  nuLclicd  slick,  as  well  as  the  rasping-stick, 
is  made  from  the  heav\ .  hard  Brazil-wood,  brought 
from  the  viciiiil\-  of  San  Ignaeio.  the  hikuli  coun- 
try. The  shaman  holds,  the  notched  stick  in  his 
left  hand,  a  little  awav  from  himself,  so  that  it 
touches  the  vessel  at  a  j)oint  below  the  middle  of 
its  length,  the  part  between  the  shaman's  hand  and 
the  point  of  contact  being  a  little  longer  than  the 
portion  from  that  point  to  the  end  of  the  stick. 

The  notched  sticks  which  are  shown  in  the  illus- 
tration, from  a  Tarahumare  burial-cave,  are  appar- 
ently of  considerable  age.  The  Ind- 
ians to  whom  I  showed  them  did  not  [ 
know  them,  but  they  all  affumcd  that 
they  were  rasping-sticks.  On  two 
sides  of  one  of  them  are  slanting  lines, 
wdiich  symbolize  the  road  of  Tata 
Dios  ;  on  the  intervening  sides  are 
transverse  lines  which  represent  fall- 
ing rain.  As  the  implements  were 
found  near  Baborigame,  they  may 
])ossibly  have  belonged  to  the  Tepe- 
huanes,  the  northern  members  of 
whom  also  have  the  hikuli  cult. 

When  the  shaman  begins  to  rasp, 
he  starts  from  the  farther  end  of  the 
notched  stick,  though  not  ([uite  at  [ 
the  point,  and  runs  his  rasping-stick 
quickly  and  evenly,  about  lwentv-si.\ 
times,  toward  himself, and  awav  again; 
then  he  makes  three  long  strokes  down 
and  outward,  each  time  throwing  out 
his  arm  at  full  length,  and  holding 
the  stick  for  a  second  high  up  toward 
the  east.     This  is  rei)eated  three  times, 


X 


I.eriKth, 

46  Ctlll. 


LenRth, 
40  ctm. 

Ancient 

Notched 

Sticks. 


THE    HIKULI    DANCE  367 

and  is  the  prelude  to  the  ceremony.  Now  he  Ijegins  to 
sing,  accompanying  himself  with  even  strokes  on  the 
notched  stick,  playing  regularly,  one  stroke  as  long  and 
as  fast  as  the  other,  always  lirst  toward  himself,  then 
down  again.  His  songs  are  short,  lasting  onlv  al)Out  five 
minutes. 

Presently  the  shaman's  assistants,  men  and  women, 
rise.  They  carry  censers  filled  with  burning  charcoals 
and  copal,  and  emitting  a  heav^y  smoke,  and  proceed 
toward  the  cross,  to  which  they  ofTer  the  smoking  in- 
cense, kneeling  down,  facing  east,  and  crossing  them- 
selves. This  feature,  if  not  wholly  due  to  Catholic  influ- 
ence, is  at  least  strongly  affected  by  it. 

Having  offered  incense  to  the  cross,  they  return  to 
the  shaman.  The  women  now  sit  down  again  in  their  pre- 
vious places.  The  men  receive  from  the  shaman  rattles 
(soiiajas)  consisting  of  deer-hoofs  tied  with  bits  of  reed 
to  a  strap  of  leather.  They  are  either  held  in  the  right 
hand  or  slung  over  the  shoulder.  When  there  are  not 
enough  rattles  for  all  assistants,  a  bell  may  be  substituted. 

Finally  everything  is  ready  for  the  dance  to  com- 
mence. The  men  wear  white  blankets,  in  which  they 
keep  themselves  wrapped  up  to  the  chin  throughout  the 
night ;  but  they  have  no  sandals.  The  dance  is  per- 
formed by  the  shaman's  assistants,  and  consists  of  a  pe- 
culiar, (juick,  jumping  march,  with  short  steps,  the  dan- 
cers moving  forward  one  after  another,  on  their  toes, 
and  making  sharp,  jerky  movements,  without,  however, 
turning  around.  They  dance  in  the  space  between  the 
fire  and  the  cross,  and  move  in  a  direction  opposite 
to  the  sun's  apparent  movement.  Nobody  present  is 
allowed  to  walk  in  contra-direction  to  the  dancers.  Af- 
ter six  or  eight  rounds,  thev  enlarge  the  circuit  so  as  to 
include  the  fire;  and  whenever  a  dancer  finds  himself 
just  between  the  shaman   and  the  fire,  he  quickly  turns 


368  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

around  once,  tlicn,  danciniLi,'  as  hctoic,  moves  on  to  the 
dancin_o;-j>lacc  j^ropcr.  Now  and  then  ihc  dancers  ii'ivc 
vent  to  wliat  is  supi)Osed  to  l)e  an  iniitation  of  tlie 
hikiili's  talk,  which  reminded  me  of  the  crowino;  of  a 
cock.  Heating-  tlieir  mouths  quickly  three  times  with 
the  hollow  of  their  hands,  thev  shout  in  a  shrill,  falsetto 
voice,  "Ilikuli  vava  ! "  which  means,  "llikuli  over 
yonder ! " 

The  women  take  their  turns  sej)arate  from  the  men, 
though  sometimes  thev  dance  simultaneously  with  them. 
Thev  move  around  in  silence,  and  their  dance  is  slightly 
different  from  that  of  the  other  sex.  Sometimes  two  and 
two  may  be  seen  dancing;  toward  each  other.  They  all 
w^ear  freshly  washed,  clean  white  skirts  and  tunics,  and 
the  entire  scene  around  the  big  fire  is  marvellously 
picturesque. 

The  dancing  may  sometimes  lag,  but  the  singing 
and  the  rhythmical  rasping  of  the  shaman  are  kept  up 
through  the  night,  interru})ted  only  once  or  twice,  when 
he  sees  fit.  He  })olitelv  excuses  himself  to  Hikuli.  and 
formal  salutations  are  exchanged  with  the  plant  under 
the  bowl  both  when  he  goes  and  when  he  returns.  On 
such  occasions  he  stops  his  singing  and  rasping,  and 
notihes  Ilikuli  by  striking  the  notched  stick  several 
times  (juickh'  with  the  rasping-stick,  and  linishing  off 
with  three  slow  beats. 

His  songs  describe  how  Ilikuli  walks  with  his  rat- 
tles and  with  his  staff  of  authoritv  ;  he  comes  to  cure 
and  to  guard  the  |)eoi)le  and  to  grant  a  "beautiful"  in- 
toxication. '!()  bring  about  the  latter  lesult,  the  brown- 
ish li(|uo)"  is  dispensed  from  a  jar  standing  under  the 
cross.  A  man  serves  it  in  small  {|uantities  from  a  gourd, 
which  he  first  carries  around  the  lii'e  on  a  rapid  iim, 
making  three  circuits  for  the  shaman,  and  one  for  the 
rest  of  the  assemblage.     The  spirits  of  the  feastcrs  rise 


CJ 


HIKILIS    DKPAIMIKE  371 

in  proportion  to  their  potations.  Sometimes  only  the 
shaman  and  his  assistants  inchilije  in  the  drinlvinij  ;  on 
other  oecasions  all  the  people  partake  of  the  liquor. 

SoNc.  TO    rill.   IIiKriJ 

\wf% — ^~~^'^~i^~"r;^~i:rF>~"^ — ^^^^f '^"1'^~"^     ^  "^T  ^'"^"^~^^~^1 

tj  "    •     •      '^-0~~^-       ^     •    Ht-  -0-  ~0-  ~  ■J~~^~'^- 

Hi  -ku  -  li      o  -  kii   -  li  -  va-  va        Ta  -  mi  -  s;e-  li  -  va     re  -  ga 
Hikuli,  uncle!  Our  authority  thus! 


±4E±ES     ^^" 


A  -  go  -  na    wi-li      si  -  rife  Na-na-ja    re-gd     we -14 

Yonder  standing  upright,  see!  The  ancients  thus  placed  him. 

The  secondary  effect  of  the  plant,  depression  and 
drowsiness,  shows  itself  more  plainly  on  the  company 
when  they  sit  down  between  the  dancing,  than  on  the 
well-trained  shaman,  who,  besides,  is  kept  awake  by  his 
occupation.  As  one  or  the  other  of  his  assistants  suc- 
cumbs to  sleepiness,  he  has  to  ask  permission  of  Hikuli, 
through  the  shaman,  to  go  off  and  rest  for  a  while,  and 
must  properly  notify  Hikuli  of  his  leaving  and  return- 
ing to  duty.  Toward  morning  all  the  assistants  are 
struggling  hard  to  overcome  somnolence,  while  the  sha- 
man sings  and  rasps  as  conscientiously  and  enthusiasti- 
cally as  ever. 

But  all  rouse  themselves  for  the  important  acts  of 
curing  the  people  by  rasping  and  of  despatching  Hikuli. 
Just  at  daybreak,  as  the  fire  is  dying  out,  the  shaman 
gives  the  welcome  signal  that  the  dance  is  over,  by  the 
three  final  raps  on  his  notched  stick.  Then  the  people 
gather  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  dancing-place,  near  the 
cross.  The  shaman  rises  from  his  seat,  carrying  in  his 
hands  his  rasping  implements,  and,  followed  by  a  boy 
who  carries  a  gourd  with  water,  he  proceeds  to  confer 
upon  everybody  present  the  benediction.     Stopping  in 


372  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

front  of  each  one,  he  solemnlv  dips  the  point  of  the 
rasping-stick  into  the  water,  and  after  touching  the 
notched  stick  lightl\-  with  the  wetted  end.  hrst  in  tiie 
middle,  then  on  the  lower  c-nd.  and  tinalK'  on  the  toj). 
he  daubs  tiie  head  of  the  person  three  times  with  it. 
Then  he  rests  the  end  of  the  notched  stick  against  the 
man's  head  and  rasi)s  three  long  strokes  from  end  to 
end,  throwing  out  his  hand  far  into  the  air  after  each 
stroke.  The  dust  produced  by  the  rasping,  infinitesi- 
mal though  it  be,  is  powerful  in  giving  health  and  life. 
Now  he  turns  toward  the  rising  Sun,  holding  out  his  im- 
plements to  him  ;  and,  quickly  rubbing  up  and  down  a 
few  times  at  the  lower  end  of  the  notched  stick,  he  makes 
a  long  stroke  from  end  to  end,  passing  the  hand  far  out 
from  the  stick  toward  the  Sun.  Bv-  this  act,  three  times 
performed,  he  waves  Hikuli  home.  In  the  early  morn- 
ing, Ilikuli  had  come  from  San  Ignacio  and  from  Sata- 
polio,  riding  on  beautiful  green  doves,  to  feast  with  the 
Tarahumares  at  the  end  of  the  dance,  when  the  people 
sacrifice  food,  and  eat  and  drink.  The  greatest  Hikuli 
eats  with  the  shaman,  who  alone  is  able  to  see  him  and 
his  companions.  If  Ilikuli  should  not  come  to  the 
feasts,  there  would  always  be  on  the  Tarahumares  the 
breath  or  stain  of  sorcery. 

Having  bestowed  his  blessings,  Fiikuli  forms  himself 
into  a  ball,  and  flies  home  to  his  countrv,  accom|)anied 
by  the  owl,  who  also  liies  to  its  shelter  at  that  hour. 

The  dust  ])roduce(l  by  the  rasping  of  the  shaman  in 
the  course  of  the  night  is  carefuUv  gathered  up  and 
kept  in  a  buckskin  bag  as  a  powerful  remed\'  for  future 
use. 

After  the  feast  evervbody  has  to  wash  his  face  and 
hands,  a  duty  esteemed  most  important. 

Besides  hikuli  waname  ordinarily  used,  the  Tarahu- 
mares know  and  worship  the  following  varieties  : 


OTHER    CACTI    WORSHIPPED 


373 


1.  Mulato  (^Manimilaria  niicromeris). — This  is  be- 
lieved to  make  the  eves  lar<j:e  and  clear  to  see  sorcerers, 
to  prolong  life  and  to  give  speed  to  the  runners. 

2.  Rosapara. — This  is  only  a  more  advanced  vegeta- 
tive stage  of  the  preceding  species — though  it  looks  (]uite 
different,  being  white  and  spiny.  This,  too,  must  only 
be  touched  with  very  clean  hands,  in  the  moral  sense,  it 
would  seem,  as  much  as  in  the  physical,  for  only  people 
who  are  well  baptised  are  allowed  to  handle  it.  It  is  a 
good  Christian  and  keeps  a  sharp  eye  on  the  people 
around  it;  and  when  it  sees  anyone  doing  some  wrong,  it 
gets  very  angry,  and  either 

drives  the  offender  mad 
or  throws  him  down  preci- 
pices. It  is  therefore  very 
effective  in  frightening  off 
bad  people,  especially  rob- 
bers and  Apaches. 

3.  Sun  ami  {Manirni- 
lai'ia  Jissiirata).  —  It  is 
rare,  but  it  is  believed  to 
be  even  more  powerful 
than  waname  and  is  used 
in  the  same  way  as  the 
latter  ;  the  drink  produced 

from  it  is  also  strongly  intoxicating.  Robbers  are 
powerless  to  steal  anything  where  Sunami  calls  soldiers 
to  its  aid. 

4.  Hikuli  waliila  sailiami. — This  is  the  greatest  of 
all,  and  the  name  means  "  hikuli  great  authority."  It 
is  extremely  rare  among  the  Tarahumares,  and  I  have 
not  seen  any  specimen  of  it,  but  it  was  described  to  me 
as  orrowinsf  in  clusters  of  from  eio-ht  to  twelve  inches 
in  diameter,  resembling  waname  with  many  young  ones 
around  it.     All  the  other  hikuli   are  his  servants.     The 


Manunilaria  fissuruta. 


374  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

reason  why  so  few  of  these  plants  are  brought  to  tlie 
Tarahumare  eountrv  is  that  lie  is  very  greedy,  re- 
(liiiiiiig  oxen  for  food,  not  being  satisfied  with  sheep, 
goats,  or  anything  else.  Therefore  hut  few  Tarahu- 
mares  can  afford  to  entertain  him  in  their  eountr\'.  If 
an  ox  is  not  killed  for  him,  he  will  eat  the  Indian.  He 
always  holds  his  head  down,  because  he  is  listening  to 
all  the  ceremonies  that  are  being  held  in  the  Tarahu- 
mare land,  and  he  is  alway  full  of  thoughts  of  how  he 
may  cure  his  sons,  the  Tarahumares.  He  never  dies. 
When  a  person  is  verv  ill,  and  there  is  no  such  hikuh 
in  the  country,  the  shaman  in  his  thoughts  tiies  to 
the  hikuli  country,  where  "  the  great  authority"  stands 
looking  at  his  children,  the  people,  and  offers  him  the 
soul  of  an  ox  that  has  been  sacrificed.  Hikuli  accepts 
the  offering,  and  sends  back  his  blessings  by  his  servants, 
who  are  always  well  dressed  and  wear  straw  hats,  "like 
regular  Americans,"  as  my  shaman  friend  Rubio  ex- 
pressed it.  Only  the  shamans,  however,  can  see  them 
come,  to  cure  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  to  clean  their 
souls. 

All  these  various  species  are  considered  good,  as 
coming  from  Tata  Dios,  and  well-disposed  toward  the 
jjeople.  l)Ut  there  are  some  kinds  of  hikuli  believed  to 
come  from  the  Devil.  One  of  these,  with  long  white 
spines,  is  called  ocoyome.  It  is  very  rarely  used,  and 
only  for  evil  purposes.  If  anyone  should  happen  to 
touch  it  with  the  foot,  it  would  cause  the  offending  leg 
to  break.  Once  when  I  pushed  one  of  these  globular 
spiny  cacti  out  of  m\'  wa\'  with  a  cane,  my  Indian 
attendant  inmiediateiN-  warned  me,  "  Leave  it  alone, 
or  it  will  make  you  fall  down  precipices." 

At  one  of  the  feasts  whieii  1  witnessed  I  wished  to 
taste  hikuli.  as  it  was  new  to  mc.  A  li\el\'  discussion 
arose  between  the  shamans,  and  I  was  fmallv  told  that  I 


TASTE   OF    HIKl  LI  375 

mio;ht  sit  with  liiciii,  as  it  was  known  that  I  liad  some 
of  the  sacred  plants  in  m\'  possession.  The  condition 
was  made,  however,  that  1  should  take  off  my  sombrero. 
It  iiaj)pened  to  i)e  a  cold  and  windy  December  night, 
but  1  obeyed  and  put  my  handkerchief  over  my  head,  to 
which  no  objection  was  raised.  The  man  who  carried 
the  oc)urd,  fnst  danced  in  front  of  the  shaman,  then 
around  the  fire,  and  finally  brought  it  to  me.  The  liquid 
tasted  somewhat  bitter,  but  not  exactlv  disagreeable;  and 
while  I  drank,  the  man  looked  at  me  with  astonishment, 
as  if  he  had  expected  that  hikuli  would  refuse  to  be 
taken  by  me. 

I  drank  only  a  small  cupful,  but  felt  the  effect  in 
a  few  minutes.  First  it  made  me  wide  awake,  and 
acted  as  an  excitant  to  the  nerves,  similar  to  coffee,  but 
much  more  powerful.  This  sensation  lasted  for  about 
ten  minutes,  when  it  was  followed  by  a  depression  and 
a  chill  such  as  I  have  never  experienced  before.  To 
get  warm  I  almost  threw  myself  into  the  fire,  but 
not  until  morning  was  the  feeling  of  cold  conquered. 
Some  Tarahumares  told  me  that  they  are  similarly 
affected,  and  for  this  reason  thev  do  not  take  it. 
When  I  told  the  shaman  about  the  effect  hikuli  had 
on  me,  he  asked  whether  I  had  rasped  on  the  notched 
stick,  because,  he  said,  hikuli  does  not  give  chills  to 
people  who  rasp.  In  other  words,  according  to  him, 
the  effect  might  be  warded  off  bv  physical  exercise. 

A  shaman  who  agreed  to  sell  me  some  hikuli  took 
me  with  him  to  his  house.  Then  he  walked  over  to  a 
store-house  of  pine  boards,  and  with  a  long  stick  undid 
the  lock  from  within,  taking  off  a  few  boards  from  the 
roof  to  get  at  it.  After  some  searching,  he  produced 
a  small  closed  basket.  Holding  this  in  his  hand,  he 
raj)idly  ran  around  me  in  one  ceremonious  circuit,  and 
said  in   a  scarcelv  audible  voice:    "Thank    vou  for  the 


37^> 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


time  voLi  have  been  with  me  ;  ncnv  go  with  him  ;  I 
will  give  V(;ii  food  before  vou  go."  The  smoke  of  copal 
w^as  blown  over  the  })lants  in  the  basket,  that  thev  might 
eat;  and  1  had  to  smell  of  the  incense,  so  that  hikuli 
might  find  pleasure  in  being  with  me.  The  shaman 
then  opened  the  basket  and  asked  me  to  select  what  I 
wanted.  I  picked  out  twelve  plants,  but,  as  he  asked 
$io  for  them,  1  contented  myself  with  three. 

On   my  way  back  to  civilisation,  1  spent  some  time 
at  Guajochic,  near  which    j)lace  the  great  hikuli   expert. 


Shaman    Ruhio   and   His   L'umpanv  at  a  Hikuli   Feast.      Photographed  after  a 
Night's  Singing  and  Dancing.      Rubio  is  Seen  to  the  Right. 

Shaman  Rubio,  lives.  He  is  a  truly  pious  man,  well- 
meaning  and  kind-hearted,  living  up  to  his  principles, 
in  which  Christianity  and  I^aganism  are  hainioniously 
blended.  He  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  his  countrvmen, 
who  consider  him  the  greatest  hikuli  shaman  in  that 
part  of  the  Tarahumare  country.  His  profession  brings 
him  a  verv  comfortable  living,  as  his  services  are  con- 
stantly in  demand,  and  are  j)ai(l  for  l)^'  line  pieces  of 
the  animals  sacrificed,  l^'or  curing  the  people  he  even 
gets  monev  ;  <ind  what  with  ])raying  and  singing,  drink- 
ing" tesvino  and  hikuli,  fasting  and  curing  the  sick,  he 
passes  his  (la\s  in  the  happy  conx'iction  that  he  keeps 
the  world  going.      From    him    1    ol)tained  si)ecimens  of 


DR.   RUBIO  377 

tlie  various  kinds  of  cacti  which  ihc  Tarahumares  wor- 
sliip, — a  hctraval  of  tlic  secrets  of  the  tribe,  for  which 
the  other  shamans  punislied  him  by  forbidciin_(^  him 
ever  to  go  again  on  a  hikuli  journey.  Though  in  the 
first  year  he  obeyed  the  sentence,  he  did  not  take  it 
much  to  heart,  feehng  himself  far  superior  to  his  judges, 
who,  he  knew,  could  not  get  along  without  him,  and  in 
the  end  would  have  to  come  to  him  ;  for  he  is  the  most 
virtuous  of  them  all,  and  therefore  knows  the  commands 
of  Tata  Dios  better  than  anyone  else. 

It  is  to  him  that  I  owe  a  good  deal  of  what  1  know 
about  this  plant-worshij),  as  well  as  several  songs  used 
in  the  cult.  He  came  often  to  see  me,  and  one  day  told 
me  in  confidence  that  the  hikuli  in  my  possession  would 
have  to  be  fed  before  they  started  on  their  long  journey 
to  the  United  States  ;  for  it  was  a  long  time  since  they 
had  had  food,  and  they  were  getting  angry.  The  next 
time  he  came  he  l)rought  some  copal  tied  up  in  a  cotton 
cloth,  and  after  heating  the  incense  on  a  piece  of  crock- 
ery he  waved  the  smoke  over  the  plants,  which  he  had 
placed  in  front  of  him.  This,  he  said,  would  satisfy 
them  ;  they  would  now  go  content  with  me,  and  no 
harm  would  come  to  me  from  sorcerers,  robbers,  or 
Apaches.  This  was  a  comfort,  for  to  reach  Chihua- 
hua I  had  to  pass  through  some  disturbed  country,  and 
there  were  rumours  of  a  revolution. 

It  seems  that  at  present  only  the  districts  around 
Nararachic  and  Baqueachic  get  hikuli  from  its  native 
country,  and  that  all  the  others  procure  it  from  these 
two.  Until  recentlv  the  people  of  Guachochic  also  went 
to  fetch  plants,  and  a  few  may  yet  undertake  the  jour- 
ney. One  old  man  showed  me  some  hikuli  which  he 
had  gathered  thirty-five  vears  ago.  At  Nararachic  they 
use  hikuli  all  the  year  round,  that  is,  as  long  as  they 
have  corn,  because  "  hikuli  wants  tesvino."     The  |)eo]ile 


378 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


in  the  l)arrancas  are  too  timid  to  <iO  on  the  exj)eclitions, 
and  thev  buy  the  plants  at  tlie  j)riee  of  a  sheep  a})iece. 
The  purchaser  holds  a  feast,  not  onlv  when  he  brings 
the  demi-god  to  his  home,  but  also  a  \  ear  after  the  event. 
In  the  eastern  section  of  the  country,  and  in  the  foot- 
hills around  Rio  Fuerte,  hikuli  is  not  used  at  all.  It  is 
very  rarely  planted  by  the  Tarahumares  ;  the  onh'  in- 
stance I  saw  of  it  was  in  Tierras  A^erdes. 

A  significant  light  is  thrown  on  the  antiquitv  of  the 
cult,  as  well  as  on  the  age  of  the  tribe  itself,  bv  a  cer- 
tain variation  in  the  ceremonial  which  I  observed  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  Tarahumare  country.  There 
it  is  the  custom  of  the  shaman  to  draw  underneath  his 
resonator-gourd  a  mystical  human  figure  in  the  sand, 
and  to  place  the  hikuli  in  its  centre.  Regarding  this 
mystical  figure,  my  lamented  friend,  Frank  Hamilton 
Gushing,  informed  me  that  similar  or  almost  identical 
drawings  are  found  depicted  on  the  lava  rocks  of 
Arizona.     In  a  letter  dated  October  30,  1893,  he  said  : 


The  figure  you  sketch  for  me  is  closelv  allied,  for  ex- 
ample, to  very  ancient  ritualistic  petrographs  in  the  lava 
regions  of  Arizona.  You  will  see  this  at  a  glance  by  the 
figure  of  one  of  those  petrographs,  which  I  reproduce 
in  juxtaposition  with  yours  : 


Tarahumare  Medicine  Figure 
Mexico. 


Ancient  Ritualistic  I^etrograjih, 
Arizona. 


Others  which  1  have  recorded  are  even  more  strikingly 
similar,  I  have  ahvays  supposed  that  these  figures  were 
desiirncd   for    "medicine"   ecivmonials.   but   thou<rht   of 


ANTIOUITY    OF    THE    CUl/l  379 

them  ml  her  iis  i)crLainini;"  to  the  medicines  of  the  ele- 
ments, wind,  min,  water,  etc.,  used  in  connection  with 
sacrifices  (with  which  ceremonial  rites  were  terminated) 
than  as  connected  with  actual  medicinal  ceremonials. 
I  was  led  to  this  belief  1)\-  hndinu;  in  connection  with 
some  of  them  little  cup-shaped  concavities  pecked  into 
the  anu;les  of  the  fiorures  (as  a,  a,  a).  Vou  will  observe 
that  a  line  is  drawn  from  the  middle  and  straight  por- 
tion of  mv  lii^ure  and  coiled  around  the  concavity  at 
the  right  side,  and  that  the  terminations  of  the  upper 
cross  lines  are  bifurcated  around  similar  though  smaller 
concavities.  This  entire  figure  represents  a  water-ani- 
mal god,  one  only  of  a  number  of  semi-human  mvstic 
monsters.  For  convenience  his  heart  is  drawn  out  to 
one  side,  and  within  it  is  placed  the  cup  of  the  "  chief  " 
medicine  ;  while  in  his  left  hand  is  the  cu})  of  the 
"good"  medicine,  and  in  his  right  hand  the  cu})  of 
"  bad  "  [i.e.,  strong)  medicine.  If  in  the  light  of  this 
you  re-examine  vcmr  figure,  vou  will  see  with  me  that  it 
represents  a  man-god  sitting,  his  legs  doubled  under 
him  and  his  medicines  distributed  around  and  upon  him 
according  to  his  parts,  and  in  accordance  also,  probably, 
to  their  importance  and  the  case  in  hand.  He  must  al- 
ways have  the  chief  of  all  medicines  placed  on  his  heart, 
as  the  renewer  of  life.  Then,  strictly  with  reference 
to  the  ailment  to  be  treated,  and  its  location  in  the  body 
or  limbs  of  the  patient  (I  should  sav),  the  other  med- 
icines. I  throw  this  out  as  a  suggestion,  yet  with  much 
confidence  in  its  at  least  approximate  correctness  as  indi- 
cated by  my  comparative  studies.  Probablv  a  consul- 
tation of  your  notes  and  the  remembrance  of  variations 
of  the  ceremonv  vou  have  seen,  will  signifv  to  you 
whether  I  am  right  or  not.  Remember  that  if  these 
people  have  this  ceremonial  in  connection  with  the 
treatment  of  disease,  thev  will  also  have  it  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  weather,  etc.,  when  "  diseased,"  so  to  sav. 
You  have  opened  uj)  a  new  significance  of  many  out- 
lines among  the  older  lava-remains,  and  if  mv  record  of 
these  in  turn  has  hel|:)ed  to  explain  VH)ur  diagram,  etc., 
you  can  judge  of  my  pleasure  and  appreciation." 


CHAPTER    XX 

THE    TARAHUMARF.'S    FIRM    BELIEF    IN    A    FUTURE    LIFE CAUSES    OF 

DEATH THE    DEAL:)  ARE    MISCHIEVOUS  AND    WANT    THEIR    FAM- 
ILIES   TO     JOIN     THEM THEREFORE     THE     DEAD     HAVE      TO     BE 

KEPT    AWAY    BY    FAIR    MEANS    OR    FOUL THREE    FEASTS    AND    A 

CHASE BURIAL    CUSTOMS — A    FUNERAL    SERMON. 

THE  idea  of  immortality  is  so  strong  with  the 
Tarahumares  that  death  means  to  them  onlv  a 
change  of  form.  They  certainly  believe  in  a  future  life, 
but  they  are  afraid  of    the   dead,   and   think    that  they 


.--^v^ 


CH1«.    R-KplOMT- 


Mourning. 

want  to  harm  the  survivors.  This  fear  is  caused  by 
the  supposition  that  the  dead  are  lonelv,  and  long  for 
the  com  pan  V  of  their  relatives.  The  dead  also  make 
people  ill.  that  they  too  ]na\-  die  and  join  the  (l('i)arted. 
When  a  man  dies  in  spite  of  ail  efforts  of  the  shamans 
to  save  his  life,  the  people  say  that  th(jse  who  ha^'e  gone 

380 


JEALOUSY    OF    THE    DEAD  381 

before  have  called  him  or  carried  him  off.  The  de- 
ceased are  also  supposed  to  retain  their  love  for  the 
good  things  they  left  behind  in  this  world,  and  to  he 
trving"  everv  wav  lo  get  at  ihcm.  So  strong  is  the  feel- 
ing that  the  departed  still  owns  whatever  proj)erty  he 
once  possessed,  that  he  is  thought  to  be  jealous  of  his 
heirs  who  now  enjoy  its  possession.  He  may  not  let 
them  sleep  at  night,  l)ut  makes  them  sit  u})  i)\'  the  fire 
and  talk.  To  soothe  his  discontent,  tesvino  and  all 
kinds  of  food  are  given  him,  because  he  needs  the  same 
things  he  needed  here.  In  the  course  of  the  year  sev- 
eral ceremonies  are  performed,  by  which  he  is  actually 
chased  off,  and  the  survivors  constantly  take  precautions 
against  his  return  to  bother  them. 

Sometimes  the  dead  are  sent  by  sorcerers  to  harm 
people  and  make  them  ill,  but  generally  they  come  of 
their  own  accord.  They  enter  the  house  at  night  and 
drink  the  tesvino  and  eat  the  food  prepared  for  a  feast, 
and  what  they  cannot  eat  they  spoil.  To  protect  the 
beer  against  such  mischief  the  people  place  bows  and 
arrows  next  the  jars,  and  cover  the  vessels  with  sprigs 
of  the  odorous  artemisia.  The  dead  will  also  kill  cattle 
and  sheep,  and  spit  and  blow  in  the  faces  of  the  peo- 
ple, to  make  them  ill,  and  })ossibly  cause  their  death. 
Sometimes  the  dead  are  viewed  as  spirits,  and  the  sha- 
man sees  them  Hying  through  the  air,  like  birds.  If  the 
spirit  of  a  dead  person  takes  up  his  abode  in  a  house, 
the  owner  of  the  dwelling  will  feel  a  choking  sensation, 
dry  up,  and  die,  unless  the  shaman  gives  to  the  dead 
plenty  of  tesvino,  and  drives  him  away  with  incantations. 

The  dead  are  sup)~)osed  to  be  about  at  night;  there- 
fore the  Tarahumares  do  not  like  to  travel  after  dark, 
for  fear  of  meeting  the  dead,  who  whistle  when  thev 
pass  the  living.  Only  shamans  can  travel  at  night,  al- 
though   sometimes   even    they   have    to   fight   with   the 


382  INKNOWN    MEXICO 

dead,  who  come  runnini:;  oul  of  the  caves  on  all  fours. 
In  the  daytime  the  Tarahumares  are  not  afraid  of  the 
dead,  tlu)UP:h  even  then  \hc\  do  not  dare  to  visit  burial- 
places,  modern  or  ancient,  i  found  it  diflicult  to  get 
Indians  to  carrv  bones  of  skeletons  excavated  from 
ancient  burial-caves,  and  even  the  Mexicans  would  not 
allow  their  animals  to  carr\'  burdens  of  that  kind,  for 
fear  that  the  mules  would  get  tired,  that  is  to  sav,  plav 
out  and  die. 

When  a  person  dies,  his  eyes  are  closed,  his  hands 
crossed  over  his  breast,  and  the  relatives  talk  to  hi.m 
one  bv  one,  and  bid  him  good-bve.  The  weeping 
widow  tells  her  husband  that,  now  that  he  has  gone  and 
does  not  want  to  stav  with  her  any  longer,  he  must  not 
come  back  to  fri":hten  her  or  his  sons  or  daughters  or 
anyone  else.  She  implores  him  not  to  carry  any  af 
them  off,  or  do  anv  mischief,  but  to  leave  them  nil 
alone. 

A  mother  says  to  her  dead  infant  :  "  Now  go  away  ! 
Don't  come  back  any  more,  now  that  you  are  dead. 
Don't  come  at  night  to  nurse  at  my  breast.  Go  away, 
and  do  not  come  back  ! "  And  the  father  says  to  the 
child  :  "  Don't  come  back  to  ask  me  to  hold  your  hand, 
or  to  do  things  for  you.  1  shall  not  know  you  any 
more.  Don't  come  walking  around  here,  but  stay 
away." 

The  body  is  wrapped  in  a  blanket  almost  before  it 
is  cold,  to  be  buried  later,  but  food  is  at  once  placed 
around  it,  and  ashes  are  liberallv  strewn  over  and  around 
the  corpse,  to  enable  the  relatives  to  discover,  by  the 
tracks,  into  what  kind  of  animal  the  dead  has  changed. 
At  night  some  (ox  or  coyt)te,  ])oleeat  or  rat,  is  sure  to 
be  attracted  bv  the  smell  of  the  food;  but  the  j)eople 
believe  that  it  was  the  departc-d  who  returned  in  the  form 
of  the  animal  to  iret  his  food.      A  shaman,  without  even 


DISPOSING    OF    THE    DEAD  383 

looking-  at  the  tracks,  may  be  able  to  tell  what  animal 
shape  the  dead  assumes. 

Within  twenty-four  hours  the  corpse  is  taken  away 
to  be  buried.  It  is  tied  in  three  or  four  places  to  one 
or  two  })oles  and  carried  by  two  men.  Women  never 
go  with  them  to  the  funeral.  As  soon  as  the  under- 
takers hav^e  accomplished  their  task,  they  immediately 
wash  their  j)ersons  well.  Uj)on  their  return,  branches 
of  the  mountain  cedar  are  burned  inside  of  the  house,  to 
"  cure  "  it. 

The  body  is  laid  at  rest  in  a  shallow  grave  inside  of 
a  cave  or  just  outside  of  it,  with  the  head  to  the  east  and 
the  feet  to  the  west.  In  some  caves,  however,  this  rule 
is  not  adhered  to,  for  I  found  corpses  placed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  formation  of  the  tioor  of  the  cave.  The 
body  is  covered  with  an  inch  of  earth,  then  with  a  row 
of  pine  or  palm  sticks  put  on  lengthwise,  and  over  this 
a  layer  of  earth  is  spread  five  or  six  inches  deep.  On 
top  of  all,  stones  are  thrown.  The  l)odies  of  grown  per- 
sons are  stretched  out  to  their  full  length,  but  with  chil- 
dren the  knees  are  generally  drawn  up. 

This  is  one  wav  in  which  the  pagan  Tarahumares 
bury  their  dead.  Another  mode,  equally  common,  is  to 
place  the  body  lying  on  its  back,  on  the  surface,  without 
any  earth  to  cover  it ;  in  this  case  the  mouth  of  the  cave 
is  walled  up  with  stones,  or  stones  and  mud,  and  several 
bodies  may  be  found  inside. 

When  exhuming  skeletons  I  have  frequently  found 
l)its  of  charcoal,  which  was  explained  by  the  fact  that 
during  the  first  night  the  mourners  keep  a  fire  near  the 
grave,  which  to-dav  serves  the  same  purpose  as  candles. 
This  also  accounts  for  the  smokiness  of  the  interior  of 
the  burial-caves,  even  of  the  ancient  ones. 

The  dead  keeps  his  buckskin  pouch  and  three  small 
gourds  with  beans.     Three  ears  of  corn  are  placed  to 


384  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

the  Icfl  of  his  hciul,  as  well  as  a  small  jar  of  tesvino. 
Another  small  jar  of  tesvino  is  i)laeed  near  his  feet,  as 
well  as  his  how  and  arrows,  the  stone  with  whieh  the 
arrows  are  stretched,  reeds  and  sinews,  his  steel  for  strik- 
ins;  fire,  the  small  stick  with  which  paint  is  put  on  the 
arrows,  his  suckinc^-tuhes  when  the  deceased  has  been  a 
shaman,  in  fact  all  his  lii2,ht-wei^iu  i)elongings,  besides 
balls  of  gum  from  the  pine-tree,  necklaces  of  Coix  Lach- 
ryma-Jobi,  and  a  hikuli  i)lant.  Mxerything  heavy,  such 
as  his  axe,  machete,  beads,  and  mone\',  he  leaves,  as  it  is 
thought  that  the  weight  would  hinder  him  from  rising 
to  heaven.  This  is  the  practical  view  the  Indians  have 
taken  since  their  contact  with  the  whites,  as  valuables 
frequently  attract  marauders.  The  dead  man's  sandals, 
his  violin,  and  the  vessels  from  which  he  used  to  take 
his  food,  are  kept  in  a  separate  })lace  for  a  year,  that  is, 
until  after  the  last  function  for  the  dead  is  over  ;  then 
at  night  the  shaman  and  other  men  take  them  away  and 
burv  them  somewhere,  but  not  with  the  dead.  The 
skins  on  which  he  died  are  treated  in  the  same  way,  and 
are  never  used  again,  lest  a  ver\-  ugl\'  dog  might  l)e  born 
of  them.  The  house  is  always  destroyed,  and  the  nic- 
tate and  many  jars  and  baskets  are  broken. 

On  the  third  day  after  the  death,  the  relatives  begin 
to  prepare  the  first  feast  for  the  dead,  which  is  held 
within  a  fortnight.  (Jne  or  two  slice})  or  goats  are  killed, 
and  the  lungs,  the  heart,  and  the  windpipe  are  hung  from 
a  stick  outside  the  burial-cave. 

As  soon  as  the  tesvino  is  readv  the  feast  conies  off, 
although  comi)aiativelv  little  of  the  liquor  is  used  at 
this  first  function.  The  relatives,  men  and  women,  visit 
the  grave  and  leave  a  jar  with  pinole,  a  small  jar  with 
tesvino,  three  tortillas,  and  three  cigarettes  with  the 
dead,  if  he  was  a  man  ;  with  a  woman,  four  tortillas, 
•etc.,  are  required.      The  size  of  the  tortillas  varies  with 


THREE   FEASTS   AND    A   CHASE        385 

the  age  of  tlie  i)crson.  For  adults  the  ordinary  tortiUa 
is  used  ;  to  youiiir  people  over  six  years  old,  medium- 
sized  ones  are  given  ;  and  children  get  small  ones,  about 
an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter.  I  have  seen  medium- 
sized  ones  made  into  the  shape  of  a  cross. 

All  the  mourners  talk  to  the  departed,  the  shaman 
first.  He  tells  him  that  he  had  better  take  away  every- 
thing they  have  given  him,  and  not  come  and  disturb 
the  people  he  has  left  behind.  He  should  leave  them 
alone,  and  some  day  they,  too,  will  have  to  go  where  he 
is.  He  should  not  kill  any  of  the  animals  belonging 
to  the  family,  as  they  have  killed  a  sheep  for  him  and 
given  him  the  best  part,  the  lungs,  that  he  may  eat  and 
be  satisfied  and  not  take  what  now  is  theirs. 

At  the  first  feast  I  have  seen  worn  in  the  hair  by 
both  men  and  women  a  peculiar  kind  of  artificial  fiower. 
It  is  made  from  a  short  bit  of  reed  in  one  end  of  which 
four  incisions  are  made,  with  the  parts  turned  outward 
to  stand  out  like  the  corolla  of  a  fiower.  It  is  stuck 
under  the  hair-ribbon  at  one  side  of  the  head.  The 
mourners  also  make  crosses  on  their  foreheads  with 
charcoal. 

The  second  feast  is  given  half  a  year  later,  and  again 
animals  are  killed  and  a  large  quantity  of  tesvino  is 
made.  Three  men  and  three  women  carry  food  and 
tesvino  to  the  grave,  the  relatives  remaining  at  home. 
On  their  return  they  stop  at  a  distance  from  the  house 
and  throw  ashes  over  each  other's  heads  before  entering. 

For  the  third  function,  which  is  the  largest,  an  ani- 
mal is  selected  from  among  those  last  acquired  by  the 
deceased,  and  quantities  of  food  and  beer  are  prepared.  . 
This  feast  is  the  final  effort  to  despatch  the  dead.  A 
large  earthen  bowl  is  made  especially  for  the  purpose. 
It  is  about  two  feet  in  diameter  and  six  inches  deep.  It 
is  filled  with  water,  and  a  drinking-gourd  placed  inside 

Vol.  I. — 2^ 


386  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

of  it,  iij)siilc  clown.  The  shaman  heals  this  Qourd  with 
a  corn-cob  fastened  to  the  end  of  a  little  stick.  His  as- 
sistants help  him,  one  by  swinging  the  rattle,  the  other 
bv  singing.  After  a  while  the  shaman  lifts  the  bowl 
up  and  after  carrving  it  about  in  three  ceremonial 
circuits  throws  it  into  the  air.  It  falls  to  the  ground 
and  breaks  into  many  pieces,  and  the  j)e()ple  dance  and 
trample  on  the  shreds  and  on  the  drinking-gourd. 

The  voung  people  conclude  the  function  by  running 
a  race  of  some  hundred  yards.  The  men  ha\e  their  ball, 
and  as  thev  run  they  scatter  ashes  to  the  four  cardinal 
points  to  cover  the  tracks  of  the  dead.  They  return  re- 
joicing, manifesting  their  delight  by  throwing  up  their 
blankets,  tunics,  and  hats,  because  now  the  dead  is  at 
last  chased  off.  If  the  deceased  be  a  woman,  the 
women  run  a  race  with  rings  and  sticks. 

A  very  elaborate  third  function,  given  by  a  widow, 
was  described  to  me  as  follows  :  There  were  five  patios. 
On  one,  for  the  dead,  was  erected  one  large  cross  and 
two  small  ones,  and  three  gourds  with  tesvino  and  a 
basket  with  uncooked  meat  were  placed  near  bv.  A 
fire  was  lighted,  and  one  man  had  to  watch  here.  On 
another  j)atio  one  cross  was  raised,  and  a  branch  from  a 
pine-tree  placed  next  to  it.  Here,  too,  a  jar  with  tes- 
vino and  a  basket  with  uncooked  meat  were  deposited, 
and  one  man  and  two  women  kept  watch,  but  no  cere- 
monies were  performed.  A  third  patio  was  for  the  hi- 
kuli  cult,  where  the  shaman  rasped  and  sang.  On  the 
fourth  i)atio,  vumari  was  danced,  and  one  large  cross 
and  two  smaller  ones  had  been  erected.  T^inally,  on  the 
fifth  patio  four  torches  of  resinous  pinewood,  each  a  yard 
high,  were  j)laced  at  the  four  cartlinal  points.  A  peculiar 
feature  was  that  one  man  alone  danced  here  between 
these  four  torches,  ciUting  with  his  knife  three  times 
through  each  tlame  as  he  danced.   This  he  did  in  reprises. 


BURIAL   CUSTOMS  387 

According  to  the  nanus  which  the  Tarahumarcs 
apply  to  the  three  functions  for  the  dead,  the  main  idea 
of  the  tirst  is  to  give  food  ;  of  the  second,  to  replenish 
the  first  supi)ly ;  and  of  the  third  to  give  drink.  The 
three  feasts  are  on  an  increasing  scale  of  elaborateness, 
the  first  being  comparatively  insignificant.  Mach  gen- 
erallv  lasts  one  (la\'  and  one  night,  and  begins  at  the 
hour  at  which  I  he  dead  bieathed  his  last.  There  is 
always  a  special  i)atio  prepared  for  the  dead,  and  an- 
other one  for  the  hikuli  cult,  besides  the  ordinary  dan- 
cing-place, and  much  howling  and  singing  goes  on,  es- 
pecially at  the  last. 

At  the  feasts,  the  shaman  steeps  herbs  in  water  and 
sprinkles  this  medicine  over  the  people.  Hikuli  dan- 
cing and  singing  always  play  a  prominent  part  at  all  the 
festivities,  for  the  plant  is  thought  to  be  very  powerful 
in  running  off  the  dead,  chasing  them  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  where  they  join  the  other  dead.  Yumari  is 
danced  at  intervals  and  much  tesvino  is  used,  and  at  all 
feasts  the  survivors  drink  with  the  dead. 

There  are  three  feasts  for  a  man,  and  four  for  a 
woman.  She  cannot  run  so  fast,  and  it  is  therefore 
harder  to  chase  her  off.  Not  until  the  last  function 
has  been  made  will  a  widower  or  a  widow  marry  again, 
being  more  afraid  of  the  dead  than  are  other  relatives. 

After  the  death  of  a  person,  an^•one  who  rendered 
him  any  service,  as,  for  instance,  watching  his  cattle  for 
a  week,  claims  something  of  what  the  dead  left.  He  is 
satisfied,  however,  with  a  girdle  or  the  like. 

Once  I  was  present  at  the  burial-feast  for  a  man 
who  had  hanged  himself  a  fortnight  before,  while  under 
the  influence  of  liquor  and  angry  over  some  projierty 
out  of  which  he  considered  himself  cheated.  He  hr.d 
chano^ed  into  a  lion.  Two  men  and  two  women  carried 
food  and   tesvino  ;  the  wife    did   not  go  with   them,  as 


388  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

the  deceased  had  died  alone,  and  she  was  afraid  of  being 
carried  off  hv  him.  I  lis  father-in-law  led  the  proces- 
sion, carrying  a  goat-skin  with  its  four  feet  remaining. 
The  animal  had  belonged  to  the  deceased  and  had  been 
sacrificed  for  him,  and  the  skin  was  to  be  given  to  him 
that  in  his  new  life  he  might  rest  on  it.  The  suicide 
had  been  buried  in  a  little  cave  with  his  feet  toward  the 
entrance.  Having  deposited  the  food  near  the  dead 
man's  head,  the  women  sat  down  on  a  stone  inside, 
while  the  men  stood  up  near  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  all 
faces  turned  toward  the  grave.  The  father-in-law  seated 
himself  on  a  stone  near  the  feet  of  the  dead.  It  was  a 
dreary  winter  evening  in  the  Sierra  and  the  scene  was 
singularly  impressive.  The  old  man  was  a  strong  per- 
sonality, powerfull)-  built,  and  a  shaman  of  great  repu- 
tation, who  in  his  entire  bearing  showed  his  determi- 
nation to  keep  the  dead  at  bay.  He  seemed  to  exercise 
a  reassuring  intfuence  over  the  whole  assembly. 

I  shall  not  easily  forget  the  solemn  and  convincing 
way  in  which  he  upbraided  the  dead  for  his  rash  act. 
Taking  the  reed  flower  from  his  hair  and  holding  it  in 
his  right  hand,  he  waved  it  down  and  up,  as  if  swayed 
by  the  force  of  his  own  thoughts,  in  accentuating  his 
points,  and  he  talked  and  argued  with  the  dead  for  a 
quarter  of  an  hour.  The  man  was  a  great  orator,  and 
spoke  so  earnestly  that  my  interpreter  Nabor  was  af- 
fected almost  to  tears.  The  speech  was  a  kind  of  dia- 
logue with  the  dead,  the  speaker  supplying  the  re- 
sponses himself,  and  this  is  the  gist  of  it  : 

Why  are  you  there  ? — Because  I  am  dead. — Why 
are  you  dead  P^Because  I  died. — Whv  did  you  die  ? — 
Because  I  chose  to. — That  is  not  right.  Vou  have  no 
shame.  Did  vour  mother,  who  gave  vou  birth,  tell  vou 
to  do  this  ?  Vou  are  bad.  Tell  me,  whv  did  you  kill 
yourself  ? — Because  I    chose  to  do  it.  —  Now  what   did 


KEEPING   AWAY    THE   DEAD  389 

you  get  for  it,  lying  there,  as  you  are,  with  stones  on 
top  of  you  ?  Were  you  not  just  playing  the  violin  in 
the  house  with  us  ?  Why  did  you  hang  yourself  in 
the  tree  ? 

Here  I  leave  this  tesvino  and  food  for  you,  the  meat 
and  tortillas,  that  you  may  eat  and  not  come  back.  We 
do  not  want  you  any  more.  You  are  a  fool.  Now  I 
am  going  to  leave  you  here.  You  are  not  going  to 
drink  tesvino  in  the  house  with  us  any  more.  Remain 
here  !  Do  not  come  to  the  house,  for  it  would  do  you 
no  good  ;  we  would  burn  you.  Good-bye,  go  now  ;  we 
do  not  want  you  any  more  ! 

All  present  then  said  good-bye  to  him,  and  all  the 
women  added,  "  Fool!"  and  then  they  all  ran  quickly  into 
a  deep  water-hole,  splashing  into  it  clothes  and  all,  that 
nothing  from  the  dead  might  attach  itself  to  them. 
They  changed  their  wet  attire  after  their  arrival  at  the 
house.  Later  in  the  evening  a  magnificent  hikuli  feast 
was  held.  The  Indians  sat  around  the  big  fire,  which 
cast  a  magical  light  over  the  tall  old  pine-trees  around 
the  patio,  while  the  dancers  moved  about  in  their  fan- 
tastic way  through  the  red  glow.  Such  a  scene  makes  a 
deeper  impression  than  any  that  could  be  produced  on 
the  stage. 

The  Christian  Tarahumares  believe  that  the  shaman 
has  to  watch  the  dead  throughout  the  year,  or  the  de- 
ceased would  be  carried  away  by  the  Devil.  If  the  feasts 
were  not  given,  the  departed  would  continue  to  wander 
about  in  animal  shape.  This  is  the  direful  fate  meted 
out  to  people  who  are  too  poor  to  pay  the  shaman. 
Sometimes,  if  the  dead  person  has  not  complied  in 
life  with  the  customary  requirements  in  regard  to 
feasts  and  sacrifices,  the  shamans  have  a  hard  time  in 
lifting  him  to  heaven.  It  may  take  hours  of  incanta- 
tions and  much  tesvino  to  get  his  head  up,  and  as  much 
more  to  redeem  his  body.     Sometimes   the  head  falls 


390  UNKNOWN  MEXICO 

back,  and  the  shamans  have  to  call  for  more  tesvino  to 
gain  strength  to  lift  him  up  again. 

The  Tarahumares  had  no  great  scruples  about  my 
removing  the  bodies  of  their  dead,  if  the  latter  had  died 
some  years  before  and  were  supposed  to  have  been  prop- 
erly despatched  from  this  world.  Where  a  body  had 
been  buried,  the  bones  that  were  not  taken  away  had  to 
be  covered  up  again.  One  Taiahumare  sold  me  the 
skeleton  of  his  mother-in-law  for  one  dollar. 


CHAPTER    XXI 

THREE  WEEKS  ON  FOOT  THROUGH  THE  BARRAN'CA — RIO  FUERTE 
—  I  GET.  MY  CAMERA  WET ANCIENT  CAVE-DWELLINGS  AS- 
CRIBED TO  THE  TUBAR  INDIANS THE  EFFECT  OF  A  COMPLI- 
MENT—  VARIOUS    DEVICES    FOR  CATCHING   FISH POISONING    THE 

WATER A    BLANKET    SEINE. 

ON  a  cold  day  in  the  end  of  October  I  started  from 
Guachochic  bound  for  the  upper  part  of  the  great 
Barranca  de  San  Carlos  and  the  country  southward  as 
far  as  there  were  Tarahumares.  Eveiithing  seemed 
bleak  and  dreary.  The  corn  was  harvested,  the  grass 
looked  grey,  and  there  was  a  wintry  feeling  in  the  air. 
The  sere  and  withered  leaves  rustled  like  paper,  and  as  I 
made  camp  near  an  Indian  ranch  I  saw  loose  stubble 
and  dead  leaves  carried  up  in  a  whirlwind,  two  or  three 
hundred  feet  up  toward  a  sky  as  grey  and  sober  as  that 
of  northern  latitudes  at  that  time  of  the  year.  We 
travelled  to  the  southeast  from  Guachochic  over  pine- 
clad  hills,  coming  now  and  then  to  a  lonely  ranch. 

About  seven  miles  before  reaching  the  barranca  I 
arrived  at  a  point  8,600  feet  high,  from  which  1  could 
look  over  this  vast  expanse  of  woodland,  extending  all 
the  way  up  to  the  deep  gorge  and  diminishing  in  breadth 
toward  the  northwest.  At  San  Carlos,  a  ranch  but  re- 
cently established  in  this  wilderness,  I  left  my  animals, 
and  immediately  prepared  for  an  extended  excursion  on 
foot  into  the  barranca  and  its  neighbourhood. 

Nearly  the  whole  country  of  the  Tarahumares  is 
drained  bv  the  river  Fuerte,  which,  with  its  many  trib- 
utaries,   waters    as    many    barrancas.      The    main    one, 

391 


392 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


namely  Barranca  de  San  Carlos,  is  from  4,000  to  4,500 
feet  deep,  and  sinuous  in  its  course.  If  there  were  a 
passable  road  along  its  bottom,  the  distance  from  the 
source  of   the  river  to  a  point  a   little  below  the  village 

of  Santa  Ana, 
where  Rio  Fuerte 
emerges  from  the 
Sierra,  could  be 
easily  covered  in 
two  days ;  but  as 
it  is,  a  man  requires 
at  least  a  week  to 
travel  this  distance, 
so  much  is  he 
impeded  by  the 
roughness  of  the 
country, 

Having  descend- 
ed into  the  barran- 
ca, which  now  felt 
almost  uncomfort- 
ably warm,  after 
the  piercing  winds 
of  the  highlands,  I 
iirst  visited  the  pla- 
teaus on  the  south- 
rvn  side,  where  the 
Indians  have  still 
kept  themselves 
tolerably  free  from 
the  white  man's 
evil  inrtuence  and 
are  very  jealous  of  their  land.  One  night,  while 
camping  in  a  deep  arroyo  with  very  steep  sides  frown- 
ing down   on   us,  one  of   the    Indian   carriers   woke   us 


View  from  the  North  across  Barranca  de  San 
Carlos,  near  Guachochic. 


Kio  fuektp:  393 

with  the  startlino;  news:  "  Get  up  !  A  stone  is  falling 
and  will  strike  us  ! "  I  heard  a  noise,  and  instantly  a 
stone,  half  the  size  of  a  child's  head,  hit  the  informant 
himself,  as  he  sleepily  rose.  lie  lost  his  breath,  Init 
soon  recovered,  and  no  further  damage  was  done. 

I  secured  the  necessary  carriers  and  went  down 
again  to  the  river,  which  I  now  followed  westward  from 
Nogal  for  about  twenty-five  miles.  The  elevation  at 
Nogal  is  4,450  feet,  about  800  feet  higher  than  the 
place  at  which  we  left  the  river  again.  At  the  outset 
we  came  upon  two  very  hot  springs,  the  water  of  which 
had  a  yellow  sediment.  The  gorge  was  narrow  through- 
out. Sometimes  its  two  sides  rise  almost  perpendicu- 
larly, leaving  but  a  narrow  passage  for  the  river.  We 
then  had  either  to  wade  in  the  water  or  to  ascend  some 
thousand  feet,  in  order  to  continue  our  wav.  But  gen- 
erally there  was  a  bank  on  one  side  or  the  other,  and 
now  and  then  the  valley  widened,  yielding  sufficient 
space  for  some  bushes,  or  even  a  tree  to  grow,  though 
it  soon  narrowed  again.  In  some  such  spots  we  found 
a  shrub  called  baynoro,  with  long,  flexible  branches  and 
light-green  leaves.  Its  small,  yellow  berries  were  as 
sweet  as  honey,  but  they  did  not  agree  with  the  Mexi- 
cans, who  had  stomach-aches  and  lost  their  appetites 
after  eating  them.  The  Indians  made  the  same  com- 
plaints, but  I  felt  no  ill  effects  from  them. 

Along  the  river  we  saw  the  tracks  of  many  raccoons 
and  otters,  and  there  were  also  ducks  and  blue  herons. 

The  colour  of  the  water  in  the  deep  places  was  grey- 
ish green,  and  as  the  river  rises  in  the  high  sierra,  it  felt 
icy  cold  to  wade  through.  One  day  we  had  to  cross  it 
eight  times.  On  one  such  occasion,  while  wading  waist- 
deep,  the  Indian  who  carried  the  photographic  outfit  in 
a  bag  on  his  back,  forgot  for  a  moment,  on  account  of 
the  stinging  cold,   how  far  his  burden  hung  down,  and 


394  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

let  it  dip  into  the  water.  The  prospect  of  being  pre- 
vented, perhaps  for  a  long  time  to  come,  from  photo- 
graphing, was  very  annoying.  Six  plate-holders  were 
so  wet  that  I  could  not  even  draw  the  shutters  out,  but 
luckily  1  had  more  elsewhere. 

We  came  upon  several  ancient  cave-dwellings,  all  of 
which  were  rather  small,  and  attributed  by  the  Tara- 
humares  to  the  Tubar  Indians.  One  of  them  was  sit- 
uated about  250  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  barranca. 
A  two-storied,  rather  irregularly  shaped  building  occupied 
the  entire  width  of  the  cave,  without  reaching  to  the 
roof.  The  floor  of  the  house  was  scarcely  two  yards 
broad,  l)ut  the  building  widened  out  very  much,  follow- 
ing the  shape  of  the  cave.  The  materials  used  in  the 
construction  were  stone  and  mud  or,  rather,  reddish 
grit ;  and  smaller  stones  had  been  put  between  larger 
ones  in  an  irregular  way.  The  walls  were  only  five  or 
six  inches  thick  and  were  plastered  with  mud.  An 
upright  pole  supported  the  ceiling,  which  was  rather 
pretty,  consisting  of  reeds  resting  on  the  rafters,  and 
covered  on  top  with  mud.  The  ceiling  of  the  second 
story  had  been  made  in  the  same  way,  but  had  fallen 
in.  A  piece  of  thick  board  half  covered  the  entrance. 
In  the  first  story  I  found  an  additional  chamber,  and  in 
it  a  skeleton,  of  which  1  secured  the  skull  and  some 
typical  bones. 

Not  far  from  this,  and  situated  in  verv  rough  coun- 
try, was  another  cave,  that  contained  ten  one-storied 
chambers  of  the  same  material  and  construction.  The 
cave  was  fifty  feet  long  and  at  the  mouth  seven  feet 
high.  The  apertures  of  the  chambers  were  fairlv 
squared,  and  not  of  the  shape  of  the  conventional  ear 
of  corn.  One  door  was  a  foot  and  a  half  broad,  and 
two  feet  and  a  half  high.  I  crawled  through  the  cham- 
bers, which   were   miserabb'  small.      The   floor  was  plas- 


dc  San  Lar'.o,-,,  in  u.->  Upper  Part. 


CAVE    CHAMBERS 


397 


tered,  and  in  some 
rooms  1  noticed  circu- 
lar holes  sunk  into  the 
ground  in  the  way  that 
I  had  aheady  observed 
in  Zapuri.  There  were 
also  small  square  holes, 
the  sides  being  six 
inches  long  in  the 
front  wall. 

Twenty  miles  from 
here,  and  just  north  of 
the  pueblo  of  Cav^o- 
rachic,  was  a  third  cave 
which  contained  thir- 
teen houses  in  ruins. 
The  material  here,  too, 
was  the  same  as  before, 
but  the  houses  were 
built  to  the  roof  of  the 
cave,  and  were  round- 
ed at  the  corners.  Pe- 
culiar round  loop-holes 
were  seen  here,  too. 
Eight  of  them  formed 
a  horizontal  line,  and 
one  extra  hole  was  a 
little  higher  up, 

A  track  could  be 
made  out  at  certain 
places  along  the  river, 
but  the  country  was 
very  lonely.  In  the 
course  of  several  days 
only  six   Indian  fami- 


One  of  my  Companions  in  Barranca  de 
San  Carlos. 


398  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

lies  were  encountered,  airl  two  of  those  lived  here  onlv 
temi)orariiv.  We  also  met  five  stray  Indians  that  had 
come  down  from  the  highlands  to  fetch  bamboo  reeds  for 
arrows,  etc.  It  was  quite  pleasant  to  meet  somebodv  now 
and  then,  although,  unfortunatelv,  no  one  had  anything 
to  sell,  exxept  a  few  small  fish,  the  people  being  them- 
selves as  hard  u})  for  food  as  we  were.  We  carried  our 
little  metate  on  which  we  ground  corn  for  our  meals, 
but  we  found  it  very  difficult  on  this  trip  of  four  weeks' 
duration  to  secure  from  day  to  day  corn  enough  to  sat- 
isf\'  our  wants.  One  item  in  our  menu,  new  to  me,  but 
common  throughout  northern  Mexico,  was  really  excel- 
lent when  we  could  procure  the  very  simple  material 
from  which  it  was  made,  namely  squash-seeds.  These 
were  ground  verv  fine  and  boiled  in  a  saucepan.  This 
dish,  which  is  of  Tarahumare  origin,  is  called  ])ipian,  and 
looks  like  curds.  Mixed  with  a  little  chile  it  is  very 
palatable,  and  in  this  period  of  considerable  privation  it 
was  the  only  food  I  really  enjoyed. 

But  such  luxuries  were  not  served  every  day.  Far 
from  it.  For  several  days  in  succession  we  had  nothing 
but  corncakes  and  water.  Therefore  our  joy  was  great 
when  at  last  we  one  day  espied  some  sheep  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river.  They  belonged  to  a  woman  who 
watched  them  herself,  while  wintering  among  the  rocks 
with  her  herd  of  about  a  dozen  sheep  and  goats.  I  sent 
my  interpreter  over  to  make  a  bargain  for  one  of  the  ani- 
mals, and  as  he  did  not  return  after  a  reasonable  lapse 
of  time,  and  as  we  were  all  hungr\-,  1  went  across  the 
river  myself  to  see  the  dashing  widow.  I  found  my 
man  still  bargaining,  lying  on  the  ground  stretched  out 
on  his  stomach  and  resting  his  head  on  his  hands.  She 
was  grinding  corn  on  the  metate  and  seemed  to  pay  lit- 
tle attention  to  either  of  us,  but  her  personal  attractive- 
ness at   once   imj)ressed  me.      She   was  still    in  her  best 


EFFFXT    OF   A   COMPLIMENT 


399 


years  and  luul  hue  l)iioht  eyes.  A  ril)l)on  d\'ed  with 
the  native  vellow  d\e  from  liehens  ran  throuirh  the 
l)raids  of  her  hair,  and  was  marvellously  beeomin^i;  to 
her  almost  olive  complexion.  I  could  not  help  saying, 
•'How  pretty  she  is!"  to  which  the  interpreter,  in  a 
dejected  mood,  replied  :  "  Yes,  but  she  will  not  sell 
an\lhinii-,  and  I  have  been  struggling  hard."  "  Of  course, 
she   will   sell,"  said  I,   "  handsom^^  as  she  is  I  "  at  which 


The  Widow  Grinding  Corn  in  her  Camp. 

remark  of  mine  I  noticed  she  smiled.  Though  I  judged 
from  the  way  in  which  she  wore  her  hair,  in  tw^o  braids, 
hanging  in  a  loop  in  the  neck,  that  she  had  been  in 
association  with  the  Mexicans,  I  did  not  expect  that 
she  could  understand  Spanish  so  well.  I  immediately 
returned  to  my  camp  to  fetch  some  beads  and  a  red 
handkerchief  to  make  an  impression  on  my  obdurate 
belle.  But  on  my  way  back  to  her  I  met  my  interpre- 
ter, who  brought  the  glad  tidings  that  she  had  made 
up  her  mind  to  sell,  and  that  I  might  send  for  the  ani- 
mal whenever  I  wanted  it.  The  price  was  one  Mex- 
ican silver  dollar.  So  I  sent  my  "  extras  "  along  with 
the  money,  and  in  return  received  a  fine  sheep  with 
long  white  wool,  when  all  we  had  hoped  for  was  only  a 
goat.     There  is  not    the   slightest    doubt   in    my   mind 


400  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

that  mv  felicitous  compliment  brought  about  this  happy 
result. 

Durins:  our  travels  alono:  the  river,  everv  dav  we 
came  upon  traps  for  catching  fish.  The  Tarahumares 
have  various  modes  of  fishing.  Sometimes  they  man- 
aofe  to  catcii  iish  with  their  hands  in  crevices  between 
stones,  even  diving  for  them.  In  the  shallow  parts  of 
the  rivers  and  in  the  brooks,  following  the  course  of  the 
stream,  two  stone  walls  a  foot  or  two  high  are  built. 
These  walls  converge  at  the  lower  end  and  form  a 
channel,  in  which  is  placed  horizontally  a  mat  of  stalks 
of  the  eagle  fern  (yPtcris  aqiiilina).  When  the  fish  at- 
tempt to  cross  this  mat,  through  which  the  water  passes 
freely,  they  are  intercepted.  Often  the  fish  caught  in 
this  way  are  only  an  inch  long,  but  none  is  too  small 
for  a  Tarahumare  to  reject. 

Other  similar  walls  form  square  or  oblong  corrals, 
where  the  fish  can  easily  enter,  but  not  so  readily  find 
a  way  out.  After  dark  the  owners  come  with  lighted 
torches  and  carefully  examine  the  corrals,  turning  up 
every  stone.  The  fish  are  blinded  by  the  glare  of  the 
light  and  can  be  caught  and  thrown  into  baskets. 
Frogs,  tadpoles,  larvae,  and  water-beetles  are  also  wel- 
come. 

In  the  central  part  of  the  country  they  use  a  spear 
made  of  a  thin  reed  and  tipped  with  thorns  of  the  no- 
pal. Sometimes  it  is  shot  from  a  diminutive  how,  like 
an  arrow.  But  a  more  interesting  wav  is  to  hurl  it  bv 
means  of  a  primitive  throwing-stick,  which  is  nothing 
but  a  freshly  cut  twig  from  a  willow  i^jaria)  about 
six  inches  long,  left  in  its  natural  state  except  for  the 
flattening  of  one  end  on  one  side.  The  spear  is  held 
in  ihc  left  hand,  the  stick  in  the  right.  Tiie  flat*part 
of  tlie  latter  is  j^laced  against  tlie  end  of  the  spear, 
wliicli   is  slio-htlv  flattened  on   two  sides,  while  the   end 


CATCHING    FISH 


401 


is  squarely  cut  off.  By  i)rcssing  one  against  the  other, 
the  throwing-stick  is  hcnt,  and  sufficient  force  is  pro- 
duced by  its  rebound  to  make  the  spear  pierce  small 
fish.  Many  a  Tarahumare  may  be 
seen  standing  immovable  on  the 
bank  of  a  streamlet,  waiting  pa- 
tiently for  a  fish  to  come,  and  as 
soon  as  he  has  hit  it  throwing  him- 
self into  the  water  to  grab  it. 

But  a  more  profitable  way  of 
catching  fish  is  by  poisoning  tlie 
water.  In  the  highlands  a  kind  of 
polygonum  is  used  for  this  purpose. 
It  is  pounded  with  stones  and 
thrown  into  the  small  corrals.  When 
the  fishing  is  to  be  done  on  a  some- 
what extensive  scale,  two  species  of 
agave — the  amole  (the  soap-plant) 
and  the  soke — are  used,  and  many 
households  join  in  the  sport.  First 
of  all  maguey  plants  have  to  be 
collected,  and  wine  made,  as  this  is 
indispensable  to  the  success  of  the 
undertaking.  At  the  place  selected 
for  the  fishing  the  people  assemble, 
and  two  managers  are  appointed,  Bow  and  Throwing-stick 
one  for  each  side  of  the  river.      It       for  the   Fish-spear.     A 

,     .       ,  ,  ,  .  modern    Fish -spear  with 

is  then-  duty  to  see  that  everythmg       -^^^  ^^-^^^^  ,„d  thrown 

is  done  in  the  right  and  proper  way 

and  all  the  requisite  ceremonies  are 

observed.     The  women  are   a  couple  of  hundred  yards 

back  cooking  herbs  and  making  pinole  for  the  men  to 

eat.     No  pregnant  women  are  allowed  to  be  present,  as 

then  the  fish  would  not  die. 

Half-circular  corrals  of  stone  are  built  to  intercept 

Vol.  I.— 26 


bv   hand   is   seen   to  the 
left. 


402 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


the  fish  that  drift  along,  irrespective  of  anv  private  traps 
that   mav  be  found  on   the   phice.      Fish  caught   in  the 

latter  belong  to  those  who  put  up 
the  traps.  While  constructing  these 
corrals,  tiic  men  catch  a  few  fish 
with  their  hands,  between  the  rocks, 
open  them  in  the  back  and  give 
them  to  the  women  to  broil.  When 
they  are  done,  the  men  })ound  the 
fish  to  a  pulp,  mix  it  with  pinole, 
and  roll  the  mass  into  a  ball  two 
or  three  inches  in  diameter.  One 
of  the  managers  then  goes  down 
stream,  below  the  corrals,  and  places 
the  ball  in  a  water  pool.  It  is  a 
sacrifice  to  the  master  of  the  river, 
a  large  serpent  (Walula),  which 
makes  an  ugly  noise.  Every  river, 
water-hole,  and  spring  has  its  ser- 
pent that  causes  the  water  to  come 
up  out  of  the  earth. 
They  are  all  easily  of- 
fended ;  and  therefore 
the  Tarahumares  place 
their  houses  some  little 
distance  from  the  water, 
and  when  thev  travel 
avoid  sleeping  near  it. 
Whenever  the  Tarahumares  make  pinole  while  away 
from  home,  thev  sacrifice  the  first  ]:>art  to  the  water- 
serpents,  drop])ing  it  with  the  little  stick  with  which  the 
pinole  is  stirred.  Thev  sjirinkle  it  first  forward,  then  to 
the  left,  then  to  the  right,  and  then  upward,  three  times 
in  each  direction.  If  they  did  not  do  this,  the  water- 
serpents  would  try  to  catch  them  and  chase  them  back 


The  Amolc,  a  Species  of  Agave. 


POISONING    THE    WATER  403 

to  their  own  UukI.  Besides  the  sacrifice  of  the  fish  ball, 
they  offer  axes,  hats,  blankets,  girdles,  pouches,  etc.,  and 
especially  knives  and  strings  of  beads,  to  the  master  of 
the  fish,  who  is  considered  to  be  the  oldest  fish.  This  is 
in  payment  for  what  they  are  going  to  catch,  and  the 
donations  are  either  hung  to  a  cross  or  a  horizontal  bar 
specially  erected  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  and  remain 
hanging  there  until  daybreak,  when  their  respective 
owners  take  them  back. 

In  the  meantime  eight  or  ten  men  have  gathered 
the  amole  and  soke.  They  wrap  the  plants  in  their 
blankets  and  bring  them  direct  to  the  river,  where  they 
are  to  be  used.  The  leaves  are  pounded  with  stones 
and  spread  out  for  a  while  before  sunset.  As  soon  as  it 
is  dark  the  men  throw  them  into  the  water,  and  trample 
on  them  to  make  the  juice  come  out.  Three  or  four 
men  take  turns,  standing  waist-deep  in  the  water,  tread- 
ing with  all  their  might  and  howling.  The  effect  of  the 
poison  in  the  course  of  the  night  is  said  to  reach  down 
some  300  yards.  It  stupefies  the  fish,  and  although 
many  of  them  revive,  a  few  are  killed  and  may  be  eaten, 
as  the  poison  does  not  affect  the  meat. 

The  managers  see  to  it  that  everybody  does  his  duty 
and  that  no  one  falls  asleep  during  the  night,  while  the 
women  help  by  watching  the  mats,  that  the  otters  may 
not  eat  the  fish  caught  in  them. 

A  curious  detail  is  that  one  man  on  each  side  of  the 
river  is  deputed  to  heat  stones  and  throw  them  into  the 
river  three  or  four  at  a  time,  every  half-hour,  possibly 
to  frighten  off  the  serpent.  During  the  night  not  one 
fish  is  taken  up,  but  at  daybreak  the  managers  go 
down  the  river  to  investigate  the  effect  of  the  poison, 
and  upon  their  return  the  fish  are  gathered  in,  the 
men  often  diving  into  deep  water  for  them.  The 
work    is   done    with    great    earnestness    and    almost    in 


404  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

silence,  the  women  helping  the  men  in  catching  the  fish. 
While  the  fishing  is  going  on  they  do  not  eat  any 
of  the  fish,  for  fear  of  not  getting  more,  but  during 
the  clay  (luantities  are  broiled  and  eaten,  without  salt 
or  chile,  however,  and  the  bones  are  invariably  thrown 
into  the  fire.  Most  of  the  fish  are  cut  open  in  the  back 
and  placed  on  rocks  or  on  trees  to  dry  for  future  use. 
Such  fishing  may  last  for  two  days  and  nights,  and  is 
finished  bv  dancing  vumari  and  drinking  maguey  wine. 
On  one  occasion  as  much  was  caught  as  ten  men  could 
carry.  Expeditions  of  this  kind  mav  be  repeated  two 
or  three  times  a  year ;  but  when  food  is  plentiful  a 
whole  year  mav  pass  without  one  being  undertaken. 

Palo  de  la  llecha,  1(K),  is  used  as  poisoning  material, 
and  seems  to  be  even  more  powerful  than  the  two  plants 
mentioned.  There  is  a  milky  juice  under  the  bark  of 
this  tree  which,  when  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  hu- 
man skin,  makes  it  smart  like  a  burn.  The  water  is  poi- 
soned by  cutting  the  bark  from  the  trunk  and  boughs 
directly  into  the  water,  the  people  taking  care  to  stand 
to  the  windward.  One  man  who  neglected  this  precau- 
tion got  some  juice  in  his  eves  and  was  blinded  for  three 
days,  though  an  aj)])lication  of  salt  water  finally  cured 
him. 

Although  a  single  man  may  poison  fish  in  a  small 
way  even  in  winter,  he  is  hardlv  likeh'  to  do  so  except 
in  summer-time,  when  provisions  are  low.  The  Indians 
dislike  going  into  cold  water;  besides,  they  say  that  the 
cold  impairs  the  efifect  of  the  poison. 

In  summer-time  tiu-  Indians  mav  also  improvise  a 
net  with  the  help  of  their  blankets,  and  drag  the  river 
at  suitable  |)laces.  Parther  down  on  the  Rio  r\ierte,  I 
once  saw  them  make  a  large  and  serviceable  net  by  fas- 
tening sixteen  blankets  together  lengthwise  with  a  dou- 
ble row  of  wooden  pins.     Along  the  upper  edge  of  this 


A    BLANKET    SEINE  407 

net  they  made  a  liem  three  inelies  deep,  and  through  this 
they  passed  vines  securely  joined  to,<retiier  hv  means  of 
the  fibres  of  the  inaLiuc'\'  to  do  dul\-  as  rojjcs.  The  op- 
posite edge  of  the  net  had  a  hem  four  ineiies  deej)  and 
this  was  filled  with  sand  to  sink  it  as  it  was  drairired 
in.  The  hoys  and  girls  were  told  to  go  aiiead  and 
splash  all  they  could  in  the  water  to  prevent  the  fish  in 
the  net  from  swimming  out,  and  it  was  funny  to  see 
them  dive  heels  over  head  into  the  water  over  and  over 
like  porpoises,  the  girls  as  well  as  the  boys,  with  their 
skirts  on.  The  fishermen  advanced  slowly,  as  the  net 
was  hea\'y.  When  it  was  brought  in  toward  the  shore, 
the  women,  even  those  with  babies  on  their  backs, 
helped  to  drag  it.  As  the  two  ends  of  the  net  reached 
the  bank,  the  big  fish  were  picked  out  and  thrown 
landward,  while  the  remainder  were  brought  up  with  a 
dip-net  made  of  three  blankets.  Eighty  good-sized 
suckers  were  secured,  besides  a  large  quantity  of  "small- 
fry." 


CHAPTER    XXII 

PESUMPTION    OF    THE    JOURNEV    SOUTHWARD — PINUS    LUMHOLTZII 

COOKING      WITH      SNOW TERROR-STRICKEN      INDIANS — A      GEN- 
TLEMANLY     HIGHWAYMAN      AND      HIS      "  SHOOTING-BOX " THE 

PERNICIOUS      EFFECT      OF      CIYILISATION      UPON       THE     TARAHU- 

MARES A    FINE    SPECIMEN    OF    THE     TRIBE THE    LAST    OF    THE 

TARAHUMARES. 

FROM  this  trij)  I  returned  to  San  Carlos,  mainly 
over  the  highlands  south  of  the  barranca,  and 
shortlv  afterward  was  able  to  continue  m\'  journey 
toward  the  southwest.  The  cordons  here,  generally 
speakinij,  have  a  southerly  direction,  runnings  parallel  to 
each  other. 

Reaching  at  one  i)lace  an  elevation  of  8,800  feet,  I 
had  a  fine  view  of  the  entire  central  part  of  the  Tarahu- 
mare  country,  seeing  as  far  as  Cerro  Grande,  at  the 
northern  end  of  the  llano  of  Guachochic,  in  which  direc- 
tion the  country,  as  a  matter  of  course,  looked  ([uite  flat. 
Nearest  to  us  were  wild-looking  arrovos  and  cordons, 
covered  in  the  lower  })ortions  with  oak-trees,  and  higher 
up  with  pines.  We  were  in  the  midst  of  vast  i)ine  for- 
ests, and  even  the  country  north  of  us  looked  like  one 
uninterrupted  forest  of  pines. 

The  Tarahumares  have  names  foi-  six  kinds  of  j)ines. 
One  species,  first  met  with  near  Tutuhuaca.  was  new  to 
science.  Though  not  a  large  tree,  it  is  verv  ornate,  ow- 
ing to  its  slcndci-,  whip-like  brandies,  and  its  hanging 
needles,  from  eight  to  ten  inches  long.  It  grows  here 
and    tlieie   in   grcnip;-   at    iiiiih   altitudes,  on    decomposed 

40b 


PINUS    LUMHOLTZII 


409- 


volcanic  tuff.  The  needles  arc  IkmIccI  by  ihc  Indians 
and  the  Mexicans,  and  the  decoction  used  as  a  remedy 
for  stomach  troubles.     It  is  not  disagreeable  to  take,  the 


Piiius  LumhoItz.il. 


taste  resemblincr  that  of  anise-seed.  The  Tarahumares 
prefer  the  wood  of  this  variety  of  pines  for  the  makmg 
of  their  violins.  I  found  this  species  as  far  south  as  the 
sierra  above  Pueblo  Nuevo,  in  the  State  of  Durango. 


410 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


Tlic  vc2:ctation  of  ihc  Siena  Madic  is  incomparably 
stronger  and  more  luxurious  than  that  of  the  cold  North. 
The  pine-trees  in  higher  altitudes,  for  instance  in  Nor- 
way, appear  miserably  puny  and  almost  stunted  when 
comixired  with  the  giants  of  the  South.  Trees  of  loo  to 
150  feet  high  and  10  to  15  feet  in  girth  are  fre(]uent. 
We  noticed  some  species  of  })ines  the  needles  of  which 
were  over  a  foot  long. 

The  region  through  which  we  were  ])assing  seemed 
uninhabited,  and  there  were  really  but  few  Indians  living 
here.  The  cordon  nearest  to  the  one  on  which  we  were 
standing  was  covered  with  snow,  and  we  climbed  willi- 
out  difficulty  to  a  point  9,300  feet  high.  There  was 
no  water,  but  snow  three  inches  deep  in  some  places, 
yielding  all  the  water  we  required,  though  it  had  a  slight 
flavour  of  the  pines.  The  Mexicans  did  not  like  it,  and 
said  they  would  not  eat  food  cooked  with  snow  ;  but 
after  I  had  shown  them  that  the  water  obtained  in  this 
wav  was  very  good,  they  also  took  to  it. 

On  our  arrival  at  some  Indian  ranches,  the  people 
screamed  with  terror,  ran  away  and  hid  themselves. 
There  was  something  so  unusual  about  their  fright,  that 
the  interpreter  and  I  went  out  of  our  way  to  investigate 
the  matter.  I  saw  two  children  making  their  escape 
among  the  bushes  as  best  they  could,  a  boy  leading  a 
three-year-old  girl  all  the  time,  never  deserting  her.  We 
found  the  children  and  a  young  woman  on  top  of  a 
rock.  After  we  had  succeeded  in  allaving  their  fears, 
they  answered  our  (juestions  readily.  It  appeared  that 
two  men  from  this  j)lace  had  recently  been  hanged  by 
some  people  from  Cicncga  Prieta,  the  ranch  for  wiiich 
we  were  making.  C)ne  of  the  victims  had  been  re- 
vived, but  the  other  had  died.  My  Indian  boy  Patricio 
knew  about  the  outrage,  too, 

I    had    at    the   outset    been   warned    airainst   robbers 


A  GENTLEMANLY  HIGHWAYMAN      411 

south  of  (iiiacliochic,  and  advised  never  to  sleep  in 
houses — a  thing-  I  rarely  did,  anyway,  for  other  reasons. 
One  man  especially,  Teodoro  Palnia,  had  an  unsavoury 
reputation  as  a  "gentlemanly  highwayman."  In  the  des- 
olate region  where  his  residence  lies,  his  father  had  main- 
tained a  band  of  valiant  men,  who  made  regular  plun- 
dering- expeditions,  driving  cattle  away,  etc.  It  was  a 
common  tale  that  travellers  wIkj  had  to  pass  his  place 
were  invited  to  come  in,  but  never  came  out  again.  The 
bodies  of  the  victims,  it  was  said,  were  buried  at  night  in 
the  cemetery  of  the  Indian  village  of  Chinatu,  a  few 
miles  distant.  Times  had  changed  since  then,  and  the 
son  was  more  guarded  in  his  operations,  but  still  sufih- 
ciently  active. 

In  order  to  avoid  a  long  detour  to  the  east,  I  had 
chosen  to  follow  the  track  which  passes  this  place, 
though  travellers  generally  give  it  a  wide  berth  ;  be- 
sides, I  thought  best  to  take  the  bull  by  the  horns. 
When  I  reached  the  robber's  stronghold,  I  did  not  find 
Don  Teodoro  at  home,  though  he  was  expected  to  re- 
turn the  next  day.  In  the  mean  time  the  superintend- 
ent showed  me  around  the  house  and  sold  me  some 
necessary  provisions. 

The  house  looked  forbidding  enough.  A  wall  of 
adobe,  eighteen  feet  high,  ran  all  around  the  establish- 
ment, shutting  it  in  securely.  It  was  provided  with  two 
small  towers,  which  had  loop-holes  for  rifles. 

In  the  house  was  a  small  chapel,  in  which  Don 
Teodoro  and  his  father  before  him  had  frequently  knelt 
to  pray.  The  altar  was  decorated  with  the  pictures  of 
many  saints,  and  in  the  centre  was  a  painting  of  the 
Christ-child,  a  crucifix,  and  an  artificial  apple. 

When  the  lord  of  the  manor  arrived  the  following 
day,  I  immediately  went  to  see  him.  As  I  passed 
through  the  enclosure  he  was  scoldinc^  the  superintend 


412  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

ent,  but  on  perceiving  me  he  stepped  forward  to  receive 
me.  This  modern  Fra  Diavolo  was  about  thirty  years 
old,  rather  short  of  statuie,  but  unusually  well  built.  He 
wore  an  embroidered  brown  jacket  and  a  blue  waist- 
coat, and  around  his  neck  was  thrown  a  man}'-coloured 
scarf.  On  one  side  of  his  sombrero  was  a  scarlet  rosette. 
Under  it  gleamed  brown,  i)iercing  eyes.  His  hair  was 
cut  short.  Altogether  he  was  quite  good-looking,  ex- 
cept for  a  cruel,  sensual  expression  of  the  features.  His 
entire  manner,  erect  carriage,  and  quick,  decisive  move- 
ments told  me  he  was  a  man  of  violent  temper  and 
extreme  determination. 

He  led  the  way  into  a  room,  and  I  handed  him  my 
letter  of  recommendation  from  the  Mexican  Govern- 
ment, and  explained  what  I  was  doing  in  the  sierra.  Af- 
ter he  had  read  the  letter,  he  said  that  he  was  my  friend. 
I  told  him  that  I  had  heard  there  were  robbers  in  the 
vicinity,  and  in  case  1  was  molested  I  should  apply  to 
him  for  assistance,  since  he  w^as  a  very  influential  man. 
Of  course  I  knew  as  long  as  he  did  not  rob  us  we  were 
quite  safe.  I  then  photographed  him  and  his  house, 
and  he  evidently  felt  quite  flattered.  He  accompanied 
me  for  a  mile  down  the  road,  and  then,  taking  me  aside, 
handed  me  back  the  paltry  sum  I  had  paid  for  the  pro- 
visions, saving  he  did  not  accept  pavmcnt  from  his 
guests.  This  was  rather  embarrassing,  but  there  was  no 
way  out  of  it,  and  I  had  to  accept  it.  1  afterward  sent 
him  a  copy  of  his  photograph  to  even  up  matters. 

The  guide  with  whom  Don  Teodoro  had  provided 
me  j)ointed  out  to  us  a  place  wheie  his  master  last  year 
killed  and  robbed  a  man.  "  He  is  a  i)oor  shot,"  he 
added,  "except  at  close  range,  and  he  generally  travels 
at  night."  In  1895  Don  Teodoro  Palma  himself  was 
killed  by  the  Indians.  If  half  the  rumours  aboiu  him 
are  true,  he  certainly  deserved  his  fate.      He  ne\er  dared 


PERNICIOUS   CIVILISATION  413 

to  go  down  to  the  lowiimds,  because  "  he  owed  so  many 
dead,"  as  the  savins;  goes.  A  few  years  before  my 
visit,  an  American  iiad  been  killed  and  robbed  in  the 
vicinity,  and  his  countrymen  in  Ciiihualuia  offered  a  re- 
ward for  the  apprehension  of  the  murderer,  dead  or 
alive.  Don  Teodoro  knew  that  a  certain  friend  of  his 
had  perpetrated  the  crime,  and  in  order  to  secure  the  re- 
ward he  invited  him  to  his  house  and  shot  him  down  in 
cold  blood. 

I  arrived  safely  in  Guadalupe  y  Calvo,  a  once  flour- 
ishing place,  but  now  quite  dead,  since  the  mines  have 
ceased  to  be  worked.  There  are  large  Mexican  ranches 
southeast  of  the  town,  and  whatever  Tarahumares  live 
hereabout  are  servants  of  the  Mexicans  and  frequently 
intermarry  with  the  Tepehuanes. 

I  thus  traversed  from  north  to  south  the  country 
over  which  the  Tarahumares  once  held  sway.  To-day 
we  find  this  tribe,  approximately,  between  Guadalupe  y 
Calvo  and  Temosachic  ;  roughly  speaking,  between  the 
twenty-sixth  and  twenty-ninth  degrees  northern  latitude. 

Civilisation,  as  brought  to  the  Tarahumare,  is  not 
fraught  with  benefits  for  him.  It  rudely  shakes  the  col- 
umns of  the  temple  of  his  religion.  The  Mexican  Cen- 
tral Railroad  crushes  his  sacred  plants  without  thought  of 
its  anger,  which  is  vented  on  the  poor  Tarahumare  by 
sending  him  bad  years  and  ill-luck.  While  the  Ind- 
ians deny  themselves  the  pleasure  of  smoking  tobacco 
in  the  daytime  for  fear  of  offending  the  sun  with  the 
smoke,  the  white  men's  furnaces  and  engines  belch  forth 
black  clouds  of  smoke  day  after  day,  keeping  the  people 
out  of  the  sight  of  Tata  Dios,  and  thus  preventing  him 
from  guarding  them.  In  the  engine  itself  they  see  the 
Devil  with  a  long  tongue  and  a  big  beard. 


414  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Worse  than  that,  the  foot  of  civihsation  destroys  his 
liomc  ;  for  the  whites  draw  the  houndary  Hne  of  his 
country  closer  and  cIosit.  The  l)ctter  chiss  of  Mex- 
icans keep  to  theniseh'es,  and  seldom,  if  ever,  bother 
about  the  IncUans  at  their  doors,  whose  mode  of  liviu": 
and  way  of  thinking  are  so  different  from  their  own. 
The  class  of  whites  on  the  borderland  of  such  civilisa- 
tion as  the  Tarahumare  comes  in  contact  with  is  not  the 
kind  that  will  or  can  improve  him,  being  ignorant  and 
unscrupulous.  The  Indian  civilised  l)y  them  is  a  very 
unpleasant  person  to  deal  with.  lie  has  learned  to 
cheat  and  to  steal,  and  he  no  longer  carries  out  his  con- 
tracts and  agreements.  Having  learned  the  value  of 
money,  his  greed  is  awakened,  and  he  begins  to  look 
out  only  for  his  own  proht. 

The  first  white  men  with  whom  the  Indian  gets  ac- 
quainted are  the  traders  who  speak  his  language,  and 
whose  sole  aim  is  to  enrich  themselves  at  his  expense 
and  compel  him  to  deal  wdth  them.  If  the  Indian  does 
not  want  to  sell,  the  lenguaraz  loses  his  patience,  throws 
a  few  dollars  toward  him,  takes  the  ox,  and  goes  off. 
Many  will  go  still  further.  They  force  the  native  to 
borrow  from  them,  whether  he  wants  the  nionew  the 
cloth,  the  mescal,  or  the  use  of  the  horse,  or  not.  Many 
Indians  would  refuse  mescal,  satisfied  with  their  native 
stimulants,  but  see  no  other  wa\'  of  getting  lid  of  the 
unwelcome  and  obtrusive  white  than  bv  vielding  to  his 
demand.  The  agreement  is  made  that  he  must  return 
the  so-called  loan  on  a  certain  date,  two  or  three  monllis 
hence;  the  Indian,  of  course,  hax'ing  no  almanac,  easih' 
makes  a  mistake  in  his  calculation,  and  the  date  passes. 
The  dealer  has  gained  his  point.  Me  saddles  his  horse, 
looks  uj)  the  Indian,  and  makes  a  great  to-do  about  all 
the  trouble  he  is  put  to  in  collecting  the  del)t,  charging 
not  only   enormous  interest  for  overtime,    but    adding 


CREDULITY    OF   NATIVES  415 

exorbitant  travcUino;  expenses  and  fees.  He  succeeds 
bv  threats  and  intiniidaticjn  in  o;ettin<2i;  his  dama<res  ad- 
justed  in  such  a  way  that,  in  return  for  tiie  paltry  sum 
he  lent  the  Indian,  he  now  drives  off  two  or  three  oxen. 

The  Indians,  being  honourable  in  their  dealings,  do 
not  at  fust  contact  with  the  whites  suspect  rascality,  and 
many  stories  are  told  illustrating  the  ease  with  which 
they  have  been  cheated. 

Once  a  Mexican  bought  a  sheep  from  a  native  on 
credit,  and,  after  killing  it,  paid  for  it  with  the  head,  the 
skin,  and  the  entrails.  Another  man  did  still  better.  He 
paid  for  his  sheep  with  the  same  valuables,  and  "spoke 
so  well "  that  the  Indian  was  content  to  remain  in  his 
debt  as  the  final  result  of  the  transaction.  On  another 
occasion  a  native  was  induced  to  sell  eleven  oxen,  almost 
his  entire  stock,  to  a  Mexican.  It  was  agreed  that  the 
latter  should  pav  two  cows  for  each  ox,  but  not  having 
any  cows  with  him  he  left  his  horse  and  saddle  as  se- 
curity. The  Indian  is  still  waiting  for  the  cows.  When 
I  expressed  my  surprise  at  the  ease  with  which  he  al- 
lowed hmiself  to  be  swindled,  he  replied  that  the  Mexi- 
can "spoke  so  well."  They  are  so  delighted  at  hearing 
their  language  spoken  by  a  white  man,  that  they  lose  all 
precaution  and  are  completely  at  the  mercy  of  the  wily 
whites,  who  profit  by  their  weakness. 

Some  tough  lenguaraz  is  not  ashamed  to  cheat  at 
games  until  the  Indian  has  lost  everything  he  has.  One 
poor  wretch  lost  several  oxen  in  one  game  of  quinze. 
Other  sharpers  borrow  money  from  the  natives  and  never 
pay  back  the  loan,  or  else  impose  fines  on  the  Indians 
under  the  pretext  of  being  authorities.  Some  foist 
themselves  upon  the  Tarahumares  at  their  feasts,  which 
they  disturb  by  getting  drunk  and  violating  women. 
Where  the  Indians  are  still  masters  of  the  situation  they 
catch  such  an  offender  and  take  him  before  the  Mexican 


4i6  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

authorities,  insisting  upon  his  paying  for  all  the  require- 
ments for  another  feast,  as  he  has  spoiled  tlie  value  of 
the  one  on  whieh  he  intiuded.  In  the  eential  })art  of 
the  country,  near  Norogachic,  they  may  even  kill  such  a 
transgressor. 

It  is  generallv  through  mescal  that  the  Indians  be- 
come peons.  When  the  Indian  has  once  developed  a 
taste  for  mescal,  he  will  pav  an\thing  to  get  it,  lirst  his 
animals,  then  his  land.  When  he  has  nothing  more  to 
sell,  the  whites  still  give  him  this  brandy  and  make  him 
work.  And  there  he  is.  To  work  himself  free  is  next 
to  impossible,  because  his  wages  are  not  paid  in  money, 
but  in  provisions,  which  barely  suffice  to  keep  him  and 
his  family  alive.  Indians  are  sometimes  locked  up  over 
night  to  force  them  to  work. 

The  children  of  such  parents  grow  up  as  peons  of 
the  Mexicans,  w^ho  deal  out  miserable  wages  to  the 
descendants  of  the  owners  of  the  land  on  which  the 
usurpers  groW'  rich.  Before  the  occupancy  of  the  coun- 
try by  the  new  masters,  the  Tarahumares  never  knew 
wdiat  poverty  was.  No  wonder  that  the  Christian 
Tarahumares  believe  that  hell  is  peopled  so  thicklv  with 
Mexicans  that  there  is  not  room  for  all.  Some 
have  been  crowded  out,  and  have  come  to  the  Tara- 
humares to  trouble  them.  The  Indians  in  some  dis- 
tricts have  been  cheated  so  much  that  thev  no  longer 
believe  anything  the  white  men  tell  them,  and  they  do 
not  offer  food  any  more  to  a  white  stranger  if  he  is 
what  they  call  "  deaf,"  in  other  words,  unable  to  speak 
and  understand  (heir  language  and  explain  what  he  is 
about. 

They  make  very  good  servants  when  treated  right, 
although  they  often  want  a  change  ;  but  they  will  return 
to  a  good  master.  I  once  had  a  Tarahumare  woman  in 
my  employ  as  cook.      She  was  very  industrious  and  in 


TARAHLMAKE    SOLDIERS 


417 


every  way  superior  to  any  Mexican  servant  I  ever  liad. 
When  not  busv  with  her  kitchen  work,  she  was  mend- 
ing lier  own  or  her  two  children's  clothes.  While  very 
distrustful,  she  was  o;ood-teni|)cred  and  honourable,  and 
si)oke  Sj)anish  fairly  well,  and 
her  eyes  indicated  unusual  in- 
telliirence.  A  white  man  had 
deserted  her  to  marry  a  Mex- 
ican woman,  and  she  grieved 
much,  but  in  time  she  be- 
came reconciled  to  her  fate, 
though  she  declared  she  would 
never  marry  again,  as  all  men 
were  bad. 

The  Tarahumares  have 
made  excellent  soldiers  in 
fio^hting-  for  the  Government, 
In  one  of  the  civil  wars,  their 
leader,  Jesus  Larrea,  from 
Nonoava,  a  pure-bred  Tara- 
humare,  distinguished  himself, 
not  only  by  braverv  and  deter- 
mination, but  also  as  a  commander.  In  private  life  he 
was  civil  and  popular. 

The  majority  speak  their  own  language,  and  in  the 
central  and  most  mountainous  part,  the  heart  of  the  Tara- 
humare  country,  they  are  of  pure  breed.  Here  the 
women  object  to  unions  with  outsiders,  and  until  very 
recently  light-coloured  children  were  not  liked.  Moth- 
ers may  even  yet  anoint  their  little  ones  and  leave  them 
in  the  sun,  that  they  may  get  dark.  The  consensus  of 
opinion  among  the  tribe  is  that  half-castes  turn  out  to 
be  bad  people  and  "  some  day  will  be  fighting  at  the 
drinking-feasts."  A  few  instances  are  known  in  which 
women  have  left  their  half-caste  babies  in  the  woods  to 

Vol..  I.— 27 


Civilised  Tarahumare  Boy. 


4)8  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

perish,  and  such  chiUh-cn  arc  often  ^iveii  awav  to  he 
adopted  hy  the  Mexicans.  Jn  the  hordcT  districts,  how- 
ever, the  Inchans  have  heconie  nuich  Mexicanised  and 
interniarr\'  freelv  with  the  whites. 

Be  it  said  to  the  credit  of  those  high  in  autiioritv  in 
Mexico,  they  do  all  in  their  power  to  j")rotect  the  Ind- 
ians. But  the  Government  is  practicallv  j)owerless  to 
control  the  scattered  population  in  the  remote  districts. 
Besides,  the  Indians  most  preyed  upon  hv  the  siiari)ers 
cannot  make  themselves  understood  in  the  ofhcial  lan- 
guage, and  therefore  consider  it  hopeless  to  approach 
the  authorities.  ^  In  accordance  with  the  liberal  consti- 
tution of  Mexico,  all  natives  are  citizens,  l)ut  the  Ind- 
ians do  not  know  how  to  take  advantage  of  their 
rights,  although  sometimes  large  bodies  have  banded  to- 
gether and  travelled  down  to  Chihuahua  to  make  their 
comjdaints,  and  have  always  been  helj)ed  out — for  the 
time  being.  The  efforts  of  the  Government  to  en- 
lighten the  Indians  by  establishing  schools  are  baffled 
by  the  difficultv  in  finding  honest  and  intelligent  teach- 
ers with  a  knowledge  of  the  Indian  language. 

Where  the  Indians  have  had  little  or  nothing  to  do 
with  the  whites,  they  are  obliging,  law-abiding,  and  trust- 
worthy. Profit  is  no  inducement  to  them,  as  they  be- 
lieve that  their  gods  would  be  angi\'  with  them  for 
charging  an  undue  j)rice.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  sell 
corn  all  the  vear  round,  whether  it  be  scarce  or  plentiful, 
at  the  same  p^rice,  though  the  Mexicans  charge  them 
very  different  prices.  The  almighty  dollar  has  no 
devotees  among  these  Indians.  They  ha\e  no  need  of 
aught  that  moncN'  can  buv,  and  are  swayed  bv  j persua- 
sion and  kind  and  just  treatment  more  than  by  gold. 
If  they  have  a  few  coins,  they  place  them  in  a  jar  and 
bury  them  in  some  remote  cave,  taking  from  the  horde 
only  a  little  when  thev  have  to  buy  some  necessity  of  life. 


A    1  INK    SPECIMEN 


419 


Among  the  pagans  in  Pino  Ciordo  I  met  the  finest 
specimen  of  the  Tarahumare  tribe,  a  shaman,  called 
Juan  Ignacio.  Altiiough  he  had  never  been  as  far  as 
Guadalupe  y  Calvo,  and  only  twice  in  his  life  to  Babori- 


|uan  fgnacio  and  his  Son,   Pagan  Tarahumares. 

game,  and  had  thus  spent  all  his  life  in  the  mountains 
among  his  own  peo})le,  he  showed  a  courtesy  and  tact 
that  would  have  graced  a  gentleman.  He  took  splen- 
did care,  not  only  of  myself,  but  of  mv  men  and  animals 
as  well,  giving  us  plenty  to  eat,  sending  his  man  to  chop 
wood  for  us,  etc.  He  was  possessed  of  the  nicest  tem- 
per, and  was  truthful,  a  rare  quality  among  Tarahu- 
mares, as  well  as  square  in  his  dealings.  His  upright- 
ness and  urbanity  commanded   respect   even   from   the 


420  I'NKXOWX    MEXICO 

Icnguarazes,  antl  thcv  did  not  rob  him  as  much  as  the 
other  In(hans  of  the  district  ;  consc(|Uciulv  he  was  quite 
well-to-do. 

While  liviiiu'  amons^-  the  heathen,  of  whom  there  are 
yet  some  thi'ee  thousand  left,  I  had  no  fear  of  bein^' 
robbed  of  anv  part  of  my  outfit.  The  Indians  them- 
selves would  not  touch  anything;,  and  there  were  no 
stiange  Mexicans  about.  If  they  had  come,  the  Tara- 
humares  would  have  immediately  warned  me.  Every- 
thing- was  perfectly  safe  as  long  as  I  had  an  honest 
interpreter.  The  Tarahumare  in  his  native  condition  is 
many  times  better  off,  morally,  menlallv,  and  econom- 
ically, than  his  civilised  brother  ;  but  the  white  man  will 
not  let  him  alone  as  long;  as  he  has  anvthing  worth 
taking  away.  Only  those  who  bv  dear  experience  have 
learned  to  be  cautious  are  able  to  maintain  themselves 
independently  ;  but  such  cases  are  becoming  more  and 
more  rare. 

It  is  the  same  old  storv  over  again,  in  America,  as 
in  Africa,  and  Asia,  and  everywhere.  The  simple- 
minded  native  is  made  the  victim  of  the  progressive 
white,  who,  bv  fair  means  or  foul,  deprives  him  of  his 
countrv.  Luckilv,  withal,  the  Tarahumare  has  not  yet 
been  wiped  out  of  existence.  His  blood  is  fused  into 
the  working  classes  of  Mexico,  and  he  grows  a  Mexican. 
But  it  may  take  a  century  yet  before  they  will  all  be 
made  the  servants  of  the  whites  and  disappear  like  the 
Opatas.  Their  assimilation  may  benefit  Mexico,  but  one 
may  well  ask  :  Is  it  just  ?  Must  the  weaker  always  be 
lirst  crushed,  before  he  can  be  assimilated  by  the  new 
condition  of  things? 

Future  generations  will  not  find  any  other  record 
of  the  Tarahumare;.  than  what  scientists  of  the  present 
age  can  elicit  from  the  lips  of  the  jieople  and  from 
the    study    of    their    imi)lements    and    customs.     They 


MAKERS    OF  HISTORY  421 

stiind  out  to-day  as  an  interest i no-  relic  of  a  time  lon<? 
gone  by  ;  as  a  reinesentative  of  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant staii^es  in  the  development  of  the  human  race ; 
as  one  of  those  wonderful  primitive  tribes  that  were 
the  founders  and  makers  of  the  history  of  mankind. 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

CKRKO    DE    MUINORA,    THE    HIGHEST     MOUNTAIN'      IN     CHIHUAHUA 

THE    NORTHERN     TEPEHUANES TROUIiLES     CROPPING     OUT     OF 

THE    CAMERA SINISTER    DESIGNS    ON     MEXICO    ATTRIBUTED    TO 

THE  AUTHOR MAIZILLO FOOT-RACES  AMONG  THE  TEPE- 
HUANES  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  MEXICANS  UPON  THE  TEPE- 
HUANES,   AND     VICE      VERSA PROFITABLE      LIQUOR     TRAFFIC 

MEDICINE  LODGES — CUCUDURI,  THE  MASTER  OF  THE  WOODS 
MYTH    OF    THE    PLEIADES. 

ON  my  return  from  an  excursion  southward  from 
Guadalupe  y  Calvo  as  far  as  Mesa  de  San  Rafael, 
I  ascended  on  January  12,  1895,  Cerro  de  Muinora, 
probably  the  highest  elevation  in  northern  Mexico. 
I  say  probably,  because  I  had  no  opportunity  of  meas- 
uring Cerro  de  Candelaria.  Approached  from  the  north 
it  looked  like  a  lonsf-stretched  mountain,  covered  with 
pines,  and  falling  off  abruptly  toward  the  west.  It  is 
conspicuous  in  the  songs  and  beliefs  of  the  Tepehuane 
Indians. 

We  made  a  camp  about  1,000  feet  below  the  top, 
among  the  pines,  with  snow  lying  all  around  us,  and  in 
the  night  a  Hock  of  parrots  flew  screeching  past  the 
tents.  I  was  surprised  to  find  the  temperature  so  mild  ; 
there  was  no  ice  on  the  water,  not  even  at  night. 
The  aneroid  showed  the  height  of  the  top  to  be  10,266 
feet  (20.60  in.  at  a  temperature  of  40°  F.,  at  5.15  p.m.). 
I  noticed  more  birds  between  our  camping-place  and 
the  top  than  1  had  ever  seen  before  in  ])ine  forests. 
Blackbirds,  the  brown  creepers  {ccrthici),  and  red  cross- 
bills were  seen  on  the  very  top. 

422 


THE   NORTHERN    TEPEHl  ANES        423 

From  Cjuadalujic  v  Calvo  I  continuctl  m\-  journey  to 
the  norllnvesl  in  ordci-  to  visit  the  Tej)ehuanes,  about 
fifteen  hundred  of  wiioni  still  exist  here  in  the  northern- 
most outpost  of  the  tribe's  former  domain.    Only  seven- 


A  Tepehuane  Family. 

teen  miles  north  of  Guadalupe  y  Calvo  is  the  Tepe- 
huane village  Nabogame  (in  Tepehuane,  Navdgeri, 
"  where  nopals  [navo]  grow"). 

The  Tepehuane  region  includes  some  fine  agricultural 
land.  There  are  fields  there  which  have  been  planted 
for  forty  and  fifty  years  in  succession,  as  for  instance  in 
Mesa  de  Milpillas  ;  but  here,  too,  the  whites  have  ap- 
propriated a  considerable  portion  of  the  country,  though 
the  Tepehuanes  are  largely  in  possession  of  their  land, 


4^4 


rXKNOWX    MEXiCO 


because  thev  arc  more  valiant  than  the  Tarahumarcs, 
antl  can  only  he  dcjirived  of  their  |)i()|)('rt\-  throuLih  the 
aij;ency  of  mescal,  for  wiiich  tlK'\'  have  an  unfortunate 
weakness. 

The  Tepchuanes  are  less  phlcLiniatic  and  more  im- 
pressionable and  impulsive  than  the  Taraiumiares.  One 
woman  lauo;hed  so   much   tliat  she  could   not   be  jihoto- 


Old  Log-Houses  near  Nahogame. 

graphed.  They  are  noisy  and  active,  and  in  the  fields 
they  work  merrily,  chatting  and  laughing.  Even  when 
peons  of  the  Mexicans  they  are  not  so  abject-looking 
as  the  Tarahumarcs,  but  retain  their  ])roud  and  inde- 
pendent manners.  'I4ie\'  behave  almost  like  men  of  the 
world  in  comj)arison  with  the  unsoj)histicatcd  'I  arahu- 
mares.  In  the  eyes  of  some  of  the  Tepehuane  women 
1  noticed  a  fire  as  bright  as  in  those  of  Italians, 

These    Indians  li\e   in   commodious  log-cabins,  with 
interlocked    corners.      The  loofs   are   gablc-d   antl    often 


RESEMBLANCES   AND   DIFFERENCES     425 

supported  by  piles  of  wood.  I'licy  arc  covered  with 
shingles,  over  which  arc  jilaccd  rows  of  stones  to  keep 
them  in  j)lace.      The  doors  are  furnished  with  jambs. 

Tile  Tepeiiuanes  call  themselves  Odami,  the  mean- 
in_<j  of  which  1  could  not  lind  out.  I3y  the  Tarahu- 
niares  they  are  called  Socio  ("walking-stick"  insects 
{phasniid(c),  in  Mexican-Spanish  canipaiuochc).  The 
Tepehuane  language  is  not  melodious,  being  full  of 
consonants,  and  hard  like  the  people  themselves.  They 
still  speak  it  among  themselves,  though  there  are  but 
few  who  do  not  understand  Spanish.  The  Mexicans 
frequently  enter  into  marriage  with  them. 

S(1XGS    OF    THF,    'rE?KHUAXE    TklBE 


Last  Soxg  Sung  at  the  Feast  when  the  Morning  Star 

Appears 


^v=::jv=::zi:: 


i • *— ^ 


i 


So    -  (so-)  da  -   gi  u    -    ki  -  (j'l-)  ru  tu  -  va  -  ni  -  mi. 

(There  is)  water  (i.e.,  tesvino)  in  the  house  ;  He  is  coming  down  (to  us). 


As  to  their  religion  they  are  far  more  reticent  than 
the  Tarahumares,  and  it  is  difficult  to  get  information 
on  this  subject.  One  reason  for  this  is  that  they  are 
afraid  of  being  laughed  at  by  the  Mexicans.  They  still 
keep  up  their  dances  and  secret  rites  and  their  cere- 
monies, customs,  and  beliefs.  Although  in  many  points 
they  resemble  the  Tarahumares,  in  others  fundamental 
differences  exist,  such  as  the  complex  observances  of 
rules  in  regard  to  pubertv,  none  of  which  have  been 
found  amon<r  the  Tarahumares. 


426  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Ignorant  Mexicans,  who  liavc  hut  a  faint  idea  as 
to  who  is  })resident  of  their  country,  more  than  once 
have  attributed  land-2:ral)bino;  intentions  to  my  expedi- 
tion. With  mv  three  or  four  Mexicans  and  Indians  and  a 
dozen  ])aek  mules,  I  have  been  credited  with  designs  of 
concjueiing  Mexico  for  the  .Americans.  Even  here  in  Na- 
bogame  a  Mexican  settler  felt  uneasy  about  his  holdings 
and  stirred  the  Indians  up,  saying  that  if  they  allowed 
"that  man  to  photograph  them,  the  Devil  would  earrv 
off  all  of  them,  and  it  would  be  better  to  kill  him."  I 
was  to  meet  the  people  on  a  Sunday,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing I  received  this  discouraging  letter  written  by  a  Mex- 
ican for  the  Indian  gobernador  or  "general,"  who,  to 
affirm  or  authenticate  the  letter,  had  put  a  cross,  as  his 
mark  or  signature,  underneath  his  name  : 

Pueblo  ue  Nabogame,  January  29,  1S93. 
Dear  Mr.  Picturemaker  : 

Do  me  the  favour  not  to  come  to  the  pueblo  to  photograph, 
which  I  know  is  your  intention.  I  believe  the  best  for  you  to  do 
is  to  go  first  to  Baborigame,  because,  as  far  as  this  pueblo  is  con- 
cerned, I  do  not  give  permission.  Therefore,  you  will  please  decide 
not  to  pass  this  day  in  this  pueblo  photographing. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

JosK  H.  Arroyos, 

General. 
To  Mr.  I'uturemakkr. 

Taking  my  Mexican  attendant  with  me,  I  walked 
over  to  the  ]:)lace  where  some  twenty  Indians  and  sev- 
eral Mexicans  had  assembled.  The  scheming  instigator 
of  the  trouble  had  brought  his  rille  with  him,  to  give 
weight  to  his  words  ;  but  the  Mexican  judge  was  on  my 
side,  and  after  he  had  read  mv  letters  from  the  Govern- 
ment, he  made  a  speech  in  which  he  convinced  the  peo- 
ple that  thev  must  obev  the  authorities.  The  Tepe- 
huanes  soon  saw  the  force  of  his  argument,  and  the 
defeated  agitator  slunk  away.     The  outcome  of  the  dis- 


h 


A    SPECIES    OF    WILD    CORN  429 

pute  was  that  the  Indians  expressed  their  rcg^ret  that 
there  were  nut  more  of  them  })resent  for  me  to  photo- 
graph ;  if  I  desired,  tiiey  would  send  for  more  of  their 
tribe  to  eome  and  pose  before  the  eamcra. 

Around  Xaboirame  grows  a  ])lant  called  viaizillo,  or 
maizmillo.  It  is  more  slender  than  the  ordinary  corn- 
plant  and  the  ears  are  very  small.  It  grows  among 
the  corn  and  has  to  be  weeded  out,  as  it  injures  the 
good  plants.  However,  several  Mexicans  assured  me 
that,  when  cultivated,  the  ears  develop.  After  three 
years  they  grow  considerably  larger  and  may  be  used  as 
food.  A  man  in  Cerro  Prieto  raises  this  kind  onlv  ; 
others  mix  it  with  the  ordinary  corn.  I  was  told  that 
people  from  the  Hot  Country  come  to  gather  it,  each 
taking  awav  about  one  almud  to  mix  with  their  seed 
corn.  The  combination  is  said  to  give  splendid  results 
in  fertile  soil. 

Can  this  possibly  be  the  original  wild  plant  from 
which  the  ordinary  Indian  corn  has  been  cultivated  ?  If 
the  information  I  received  about  it  in  Mexquitic,  State  of 
Jalisco,  is  correct,  then  this  question  must  be  answered 
negatively,  because  mv  informant  there  stated  that  the 
plant  is  triennial.  In  that  locality  it  is  called  uiaiz  dc 
pajaro,  and  it  is  cultivated  as  a  substitute  for  the  ordi- 
nary corn,  or  for  use  in  making  atole.  The  Huichol 
Indians  also  know  it  and  raise  it ;  they  call  it  tats. 

For  about  a  month  I  stopped  at  Mesa  de  Milpillas, 
which  is  a  fertile  high  plateau.  The  countrv  is  now 
almost  open,  yet  magnificent  })ines  still  remain,  and 
Cerro  de  Muinora  stands  guard  to  the  south.  This  is 
the  stronghold  of  the  northern  Tepehuanes. 

I  then  descended  toward  the  west  to  the  village  of 
Cinco  Llagas,  and  found  the  Tepehuanes  there  pure- 
bred, although  speaking  Spanish.  Ascending  again  to 
the  sierra  over  the  mining  cam})  of   San  Jose,  I  arrived 


430  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

in  Baborigaiiic  (Fcpchuanc,  \'a\vulilc  ="  where  there 
is  a  laro:e  tio-tree").  The  pueblo  is  finely  situated  on  a 
llano  one  mile  and  a  half  in  diameter,  and  surrounded 
1)V  prettv  hills.  I  took  up  m\-  abode  in  a  Tej)ehuane 
shant\-  in  the  neiiihi)ourhood  of  the  village.  The  owner 
asked  for  the  rent  in  advanee,  and  for  the  amount  of 
fifty  eentavos  Air.  llartmanand  I  seeured  the  riuht  of 
oeeui)ane\.',  without  time  limit.  I  sta\'ed  there  from 
March  31st  to  iVpril  30th.  There  are  a  couple  of  Mexi- 
can stores  at  Baborigame,  and  the  village  is  more  Mexi- 
can than  Indian.  The  Tepehuanes  live  on  their  ranches, 
and  come  in  only  on  festive  occasions,  to  mingle  with 
their  "  neighbours,"  as  the  Mexicans  are  designated  by 
the  Indians  in  all  parts  of  Mexico. 

1  was  told  that  native  travelling  merchants  from 
southern  Mexico,  called  Aztecs  and  Otornies,  pass 
thiough  Baborigame  every  five  years,  to  sell  their  goods. 
They  bring  articles  of  silk  and  wool,  wooden  spoons, 
needles  and  thread,  and  do  nice  embroidery  work,  and 
make  or  mend  garments. 

The  Tepehuanes  of  the  north  have  much  the  same 
games  and  sports  as  the  Tepehuanes,  and  at  Easter-time, 
foot-races  a  la  Tarahumare  were  arranged  as  part  of  the 
general  festivities  of  the  season.  Two  hundred  and 
ninety  people  assembled,  among  them  a  few  Tarahu- 
mares.  There  were  several  races,  the  runners  being: 
divided  into  different  groups,  men  and  women  (married 
and  unmarried),  and  childien.  As  among  the  Tarahu- 
mares,  two  parties  opj)osed  each  other  in  each  race,  and 
the  men  ran  with  balls,  the  women  with  rings.  The 
married  women,  although  fat  and  hea\'\',  made  better 
time  than  the  young  girls. 

The  runners  who  dist  inguislu'd  themseh'cs  most  were 
the  married  men,  ranging  in  age  from  eighteen  to  thirty 
years,  the  best  of  whom  made   thirteen  ciicuits   in   three 


Sl^ORTS    AND   OTHER   CUSTOMS        431 

hours  and  one  minute  and  a  half.  I  measured  the  cir- 
cuit, and  found  it  to  he  9,223  feet  lon^' ;  therefore  the 
total  distance  run  was  nearly  twenty-three  miles.  The 
two  men  who  came  in  lirst,  one  a  Tcpehuane,  the  othei' 
a  Tarahumare,  showed  no  sij^ns  of  fatiij^ue.  Bv  way  of 
comparison,  I  will  add  that  the  best  one  among  some 
young  Mexicans,  who  raced  at  the  same  time,  took 
twelve  minutes  for  the  circuit,  and  all  arrived  breathless, 
and  would  apparently  not  have  been  able  to  continue 
much  longer.  I  was  credibly  informed  that  eight  years 
ago  a  man  who  had  died  but  a  short  time  before  could 
make  twenty-seven  circuits,  or  more  than  forty-seven 
miles,  on  this  race-course.  This  runner  was  well  known 
in  that  part  of  the  sierra.  His  antagonist  made  twenty- 
six  circuits,  then  fell  down  exhausted,  while  the  victor 
indulged  in  a  prolonged  dance  the  next  day.  The  race 
lasted  from  noon  until  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Some  of  the  Tepehuane  customs  have  been  adopted 
by  the  Mexicans.  For  instance,  after  the  harvesting  is 
over,  the  owner  or  his  son  is  tied  on  to  a  horse,  and  has 
to  carrv  a  cross  made  from  three  ears  of  corn.  The 
horse  is  led  to  the  house,  and  is  received  with  rifle  shots  ; 
and  the  men  tell  the  women  in  the  house  that  the  man 
on  the  horse  has  stolen  the  corn,  and  they  will  not  let 
him  go  unless  they  are  given  tesvino  and  a  ball.  The 
demand,  of  course,  is  acceded  to,  and  drum  and  violin 
furnish  the  music  for  the  dance. 

The  Tepehuanes  around  Baborigame  now  frequently 
rent  their  lands  to  the  Mexicans  for  a  term  of  vears,  but 
rarely  get  it  back,  for  the  "neighbours"  have  a  powerful 
agent  in  mescal.  The  enormous  proht  accruing  from 
trading  in  this  brandy  with  the  natives  may  be  judged 
from  the  fact  that  a  demijohn  of  the  liquid  costing  $5 
contains  24  bottles,  for  each  of  which  the  trader  gets 
from  the  Indians  one  sack  of  corn,  worth  $1.      On   this 


432 


rXKXOWX    MEXICO 


quaiuiu-  he  realises  elsewhere  at  least  $5.  In  other 
words,  on  an  outlay  of,  sa}',  $50,  he  earns  a  c^ross  $1,200 ; 
deduetino"  expenses  for  transportation  of  the  corn,  etc., 
leaves  still  a  net  profit  of  at  least  $1,100. 

The   Tepehuanes   have    medicine    lodo;cs   in    remote 
places,   where   they   secretly  gather   once    a    month,   or 


\ 


Tepehuane  Medicine  Lodge  near  Mesa  de  Milpillas. 

every  other  month.  The  name  of  the  lodue  is  \\lkir 
Nuidadu  (vakir  =  the  inside  of  the  house;  nuidadu  = 
where  there  is  singin<^  ;  /.^■.,"the  house  where  there  is 
sinixinji;  inside  ").  Here  they  sino-  to  call  down  their  i^od 
Tiini,  wiiom  tiiev  also  call  their  brother-in-law  ((lunosi). 
He  instructs  the  siiaman  how  t(j  })roceed  to  pret  rain, 
and  to  a\'ert  evil,  1)\-  makinLT  tes\'ino  and  1)V  dancing. 


RELKHOUS   CEREMONIES  433 

The  (ratlicrino;  at  the  inedieine  \()d<xc  begins  at  dusk, 
three  shamans  being  present.  A  eross  is  raised  and 
many  kinds  of  flowers  from  tlie  barrancas  are  attached  to 
it.  Eagle  feathers,  too,  are  hung  to  it,  as  well  as  strings 
of  beads.  From  each  arm  of  the  cross  is  suspended 
an  "eye  of  the  god"  (\^ol.  II,  Chap.  XI),  called  in 
Tepehuane,  yagete.  There  are  three  jars  with  tesvino, 
and  three  bowls  with  meat  are  placed  before  the  cross. 

The  fire  is  put  out,  and  the  shamans  begin  to  sing 
different  songs  with  different  melodies,  continuing  un- 
til nearly  midnight,  when  a  noise  is  heard  on  the 
roof,  as  if  somebody  were  walking  there.  The  Indians 
sins:  on,  and  the  walk  ins;  on  the  roof  is  heard  three 
times.  At  last  the  roof  opens,  and  behold  sorriebody 
jumps  on  the  floor  three  times.  The  singing  stops,  and 
Tuni  (Tata  Dios)  is  among  the  people.  He  looks  like 
a  Tepehuane,  with  a  breech-cloth  and  tunic,  but  without 
blanket,  and  with  a  bandana  around  his  head.  The  bor- 
ders of  the  breech-cloth  and  of  the  tunic  are  of  gold,  and 
so  are  the  ends  of  his  hair.  Only  the  shamans  see  him. 
He  greets  them  with  the  usual  salutation,  "  Vaigase  ! " 
and  the  assemblage  responds  in  the  same  w^ay.  He 
plays  with  the  Indians,  and  calls  them  his  brothers-in- 
law.  Three  cigarettes  are  made  and  placed  near  the 
tesvino.  "  Smoke,  brother-in-law  ! "  they  say,  and  all 
laugh  and  make  merry  with  Tuni.  He  then  makes  a 
speech,  telling  them  to  make  plenty  of  tesvino  in  their 
houses,  in  order  that  the  world  may  not  come  to  an  end. 
He  is  invited  to  drink,  and  to  sing  three  different  songs, 
in  which  all  the  men  join.  He  then  drinks  tesvino,  with 
such  a  gurgle  that  all  can  hear  it.  "  How  strong  it  is." 
he  says;  "  I  may  not  even  be  able  to  get  home  !"  He 
also  sprinkles  tesvino  over  them.  Anyone  who  wants 
to  drink  simplv  stretches  out  his  arm,  saying  nothing, 
and  a  full  drinking-gourd  is  placed  in  his  hand.      When 

Vol.  I.— 28 


434 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


empty,  the  gourd  vanishes.     Such  a  person  will   remain 
drunk  until  morning,  for  Tuni's  hand  is  strong. 

He  remains  for  about  half  an  hour,  and  when  he 
leaves   he   says   that    he   will    come    back    if   the   pe()j)le 

make  tesvino  for 
him.  He  vanishes 
like  a  breath,  noise- 
lessly. 

Immediately  after 
he  has  gone,  a  fe- 
male deity  comes, 
whom  they  call  San- 
ta  Maria  Djada 
(mother  ;  that  is,  the 
moon).  The  same 
salutations  are  ex- 
changed, and  the 
women  ask  her  to 
sing.  She,  too,  re- 
ceives tesvino,  and  makes  a  speech,  the  trend  of  which 
is  that  thev  must  go  on  making  the  liquor  through  the 
year,  lest  their  father  should  get  angry  and  the  world 
come  to  an  end.  Afterward  the  Snow  and  the  Cold  also 
come  to  play  with  the  people  in  a  similar  wav. 

(^ucuduri  is  the  name  of  the  master  of  the  deer  and 
the  fish.  He  also  makes  rain  and  he  is  heard  in  the 
thunder.  He  is  a  small  but  thick-set  man,  and  in  foggy 
weather  he  rides  on  a  deer  over  the  mountain-tops. 
When  there  is  much  fog  and  rain,  a  Tepehuane  may 
eo  to  a  wrestlincr-contest  with  Cucuduri  in  the  forest. 
He  throws  an  arrow  on  the  ground,  and  the  little  man 
appears  and  agrees  to  ])ut  up  a  deer  against  the  arrow. 
They  wrestle,  and  often  Cucuduri  is  thrown,  although  he 
is  strong.  Then  the  man  will  find  a  deer  close  by,  and 
shoot  it. 


A  Well-known  Tepehuane  Shaman. 


BELIEFS   OF   THE   TEPEHUANES         435 

The  fisherman  hears  in  the  ripple  of  the  tlowing  wa- 
ter the  weeping  of  Cueuduri,  and  throws  three  small  fish 
to  him.  If  he  should  not  do  this,  he  would  catch  noth- 
ing. Cueuduri  would  throw  stones  into  the  water  and 
drive  the  fish  off,  or  he  would  even  throw  stones  at  the 
man  himself. 

The  Tepehuanes  never  drink  direct  from  a  brook, 
but  scoop  up  the  water  with  their  hands,  else  in  the  night 
the  master  of  the  spring  might  carry  them  inside  of  the 
mountain. 

They  never  cut  their  finger  and  toe  nails,  for  fear  of 
getting  blind. 

They  say  that  the  seat  of  the  soul  is  between  the 
stomach  and  the  chest,  and  they  never  wake  up  a  man 
who  is  asleep,  as  his  soul  may  be  wandering  about. 
Sometimes  a  man  is  ill  because  his  soul  is  away.  The 
doctors  may  be  unable  to  make  it  come  back,  and 
still  the  man  lives.  Soul  is  breath;  and  when  a  man 
dies,  his  soul  passes  through  the  fontanels  of  the  head, 
or  through  the  eyes  or  the  nostrils  or  the  mouth. 

If  anyone  steps  over  a  man,  the  latter  will  not  be 
able  to  kill  another  deer  in  his  life.  A  woman  can  be 
passed  in  this  way  without  such  danger. 

When  the  wind  blows  hard,  it  is  because  a  woman 
delaved  curing  herself. 

The  reason  the  Tepehuanes  make  four  feasts  to 
despatch  a  dead  woman  from  this  world,  and  only  three 
for  a  man,  is  their  belief  that  a  woman  has  more  ribs 
than  a  man. 

Unmarried  women  are  not  allowed  to  eat  meat  from 
the  spinal  column  of  the  deer,  as  those  bones  look  like 
arrows.  If  they  ate  this  meat,  their  backs  would  grow 
curved  and  they  would  have  back-aches. 

The   Tepehuanes  do  not  eat  pinole  with   meat,  be- 


436  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

cause  their  teeth  would  fall   out.     After  eating-  pinole 
they  rinse  their  mouths. 

One  kind  of  squirrel  is  thought  to  change  into  a 
bat,  another  into  a  parrot.  The  ground-squirrel  changes 
into  a  serpent.  Catfish  become  otters,  and  larv?e  on  the 
madrona-tree  are  transformed  into  doves. 

When  a  hen  crows,  an  accident  is  going  to  happen, 
unless  the  hen  is  immediately  killed. 

The  moon  sometimes  has  to  tight  with  the  sun. 
If  weather  depended  only  on  the  moon,  it  would  rain 
always,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Tepehuanes. 

The  Pleiades  are  women,  and  the  women  of  this  world 
are  their  sisters.  They  were  Jiving  with  a  man  who 
used  to  bring  them  their  food.  One  day  he  could  not 
find  anything,  and  drew  blood  from  the  calf  of  his  leg, 
and  brought  it  in  a  leaf  from  the  big-leav^ed  oak-tree. 
He  told  the  women  it  was  deer-blood,  and  thus  he  sus- 
tained them.  On  discovering  that  it  was  his  blood, 
they  became  very  angry  and  ascended  to  heaven,  where 
they  are  yet  to  be  seen. 

When  he  came  home  in  the  afternoon  he  missed 
them,  and  followed  their  tracks,  but  could  not  find 
them.  He  slept  alone,  and  in  the  night  he  said  to  the 
mice,  which  he  took  for  the  women,  "  Come,  come  to 
boil  the  deer-blood  !"  He  continued  his  search  until  he 
reached  the  place  where  they  had  disappeared.  The 
women,  seeing  from  above  how  he  went  around  looking 
for  them,  laughed,  and  he  caught  sight  of  them  and 
called  out,  "  Tie  your  girdles  together  that  I  may  get  up 
also."  He  climbed  up  ;  but  when  he  had  almost  reached 
them,  the  oldest  of  the  women  told  the  others  to  let 
him  drop,  because  he  had  deceived  them.  He  became  a 
coyote  and  has  remained  in  that  shape  ever  since.  If  he 
had  succeeded  in  getting  up,  he  would  have  become  a 
star,  the  same  as  the  women. 

The  three  stars  in  the  Belt  of  Orion  are  deer. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


ON     TO     MORELOS WILD     AND      BKOKKN  COUNTRY — THE      ENORMOUS 

FLOWER-SPIKE    OF    THE    AMOLE SUBTROPICAL    VEGETATION    OF 

NORTHWESTERN     MEXICO DESTRUCTIVE     ANTS THE     LAST     OF 

THE  TUBARS A   SPECTRAL  RIDE P.ACK   'i'O  THE  UNITED  STATES 

AN    AWFUL     THUNDER-STORM CLOSE     QUARTERS ZAPE 

ANTIQUITIES WHEN    AN     "  ANGEL  "    DIES MEMENTOS     OF     A 

REIGN    OF    TERROR THE    GREAT    TEPEHUANE     REVOLUTION     OF 

1616 THE    FERTILE    PLAINS    OF    DURANGO. 


AFTER  having  at  last  succeeded  in  getting  men,  I 
continued  my  journey  to  the  northwest,  over  the 
very  broken  country  toward  the  town  of  Morelos,  in- 
habited ahnost  entirely  by  pagan  Tarahumares.  There 
were,  of  course,  no  roads,  only  Indian  trails,  and  these 
in  many  places  were  dangerous  to  travel  with  beasts  of 
burden.  The  barrancas  during  the  month  of  May  are 
all  but  mtolcrably  hot,  and  it  was  a  relief  to  get  up  now 
and  then  on  the  strips  of  highland  that  intersperse  the 
countrv  and  look  as  fine  as  i)arks.  At  the  hiorher  al- 
titudes  I  noticed  a  great  number  of  eagle  ferns,  and 
the  Indians  here  plant  corn  in  the  small  patches  be- 
tween the  ferns,  merely  putting  the  grains  into  the 
gravelly  red  ground  without  tilling  the  soil  at  all. 

Lower  down  were  g-roves  of  big-leaved  oak-trees. 
Their  leaves  are  sometimes  over  ten  inches  long  and  of 
nearly  the  same  breadth,  and  are  frequently  utilised  by 
the  Indians  as  improvised  drinking-vessels. 

On  the  summits  of  the  bnrrancas,  and  on  the  slopes 
over  which  we  descended  into  the  valleys,  an  astonishing 
number  of  parasites  and  epiphytes  was  observed,  espe- 

437 


438 


UNKNOWN   MEXICO 


Salvia  elcgans,  var. 
soriorensis. 


ciall\- on  tlu' j)incs  and  oaks.      The  round  vcilow  clusters 
growing    on   the   branches  of    the  oaks  sometimes  oi\e 

tlie  entire  forest  a  vel low- 
hue.  In  the  foot-hills  I 
saw  a  kind  of  })arasite, 
whose  straight,  limher 
branches  of  a  fresh,  dark 
green  colour  hang  down 
in  bunches  over  twenty 
feet  in  lengtii.  Some 
epiphytes,  which  most  of 
the  year  look  to  the  casual 
observer  like  so  many 
tufts  of  hav  on  the 
branches,  jjroduce  at  cer- 
tain seasons  extremelv 
pretty  flowers. 

In  the  vallevs  of  the 
western  inclines  of  the  sierra  there  is  nothing 
suggestive  of  tropical  luxuriance  or  romance 
in  the  landscape,  which  impresses  one  chieflv  with  its 
towering  mountains  and  vast  slopes.  Grass  is  plenti- 
ful enough  among  the  stones  and  rocks,  and  grouj)s 
of  fresh  green  trees  indicate  where  ground  is  moist  and 
water  to  be  found.  The  country  is  dr\',  and  fiom  Jan- 
uary to  June  there  is  no  rain.  Vet  an  aloe,  which 
smells  like  ham,  is  so  full  of  juice  that  it  dri})s  when  a 
leaf  is  broken.  This,  too,  is  the  home  of  the  agaves,  or 
centur\'-j)lants,  and  I  know  of  nothing  so  astonishing  as 
the  gigantic  tlowxM--spike  that  shoots  upward  from  the 
comparatively  small  plant  called  amole.  One  line  dav 
in  May  1  came  uj:)()n  one,  which  1  measured.  It  was  bv 
no  means  the  largest  one  to  be  found,  but  the  spike 
itself,  witliout  the  stalk,  was  15  feet  8  inches  in  height, 
and  31  inches  in  circumference  at   its  thickest  j)art.      It 


A    GIGANTIC    FLOWER-SPIKE 


439 


seemed  a  pity  to  cut  down  such  a  nia<;nilicent  si)ecimen, 
1)LU,  as  I  wanted  to  count  the  llowers,  I  had  one  of  niv 
men  fell  it  with  a  couple  of  blows  of  an  axe.  After 
counting-  the  flowers  on  one  section,  I  estimated  that 
the  entire  spike  bore  at  least  20,000  beautiful  yellow 
blossoms,  each  as  laro;e  as  a  tulij).  It  re(]uired  two  men 
to  carry  the  spike,  and  as  they  walked  they  were  followed 
by  a  multitude  of  humming-birds,  which  remained  fear- 


The  Flowcr-Spike  of  the  Amole. 

lessly  at  work  among  the  flowers  of  what  they  evidently 
considered  their  own  private  garden.  They  might  have 
to  fly  miles  before  finding  another  like  this.  The  flower- 
stalk  of  the  maguey  is  eaten  before  it  flowers.  It  looks 
like  a  big  bamboo  stick,  and  when  roasted  in  the  hot 
ashes  is  verv  palatable,  sweet,  and  tender. 

Below  the  Indian  village  of  Coloradas  stands  an  iso- 
lated peak  400  to  500  feet  high,  in  regard  to  which  the 
Tarahumares  have  the  following  legend  :  A  Tepehu- 
ane  once  cut  bamboo  reeds  and  tobacco,  down  on  the 
river,  and  being  followed  uj)  bv  the  Tubars  changed 
himself  into  this  stone.  The  man's  girdle  can  still  be 
made  out. 


440 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


^ 


At  the  villai^c  mv  intcrpictcr  asked  mc  for  the  cover 
of  a  eoj)V  of  London  7V/////,  and  ft)r  the  \vrapi)er  on 
my  photograj)hic  fihns,  that  with  these  pictures  lie 
might  adorn  the  altar  of  the  old  adobe  church. 

The  country  is  but  thinly  populated  east  and  north  of 
Moielos.  and  the  steepness  of  tlie  valle\s  through  winch 
the  Indians  are  scattered,  makes  it  difhcult  to  reach 
them.  At  the  time  of  mv  visit  these  Indians  had  abso- 
lutely  nothing   to   sell   us   but   the   sweet  mescal  stalks. 

In  the  end  of  May  I  reached 
Alorelos,  an  old  mining  place, 
about  1, 800  feet  above  sea-level. 
The  surrounding  hills  and 
mountains  were  covered  with  the 
tvpical  Mexican  vegetation  of  the 
warm  regions.  The  many  odd- 
shaped  cacti  form  a  strong  con- 
trast to  the  light  and  j)innate 
leaves  of  the  numerous  legumi- 
nous shrubs,  acacia,  sophronia, 
etc.  The  chilicote,  or  coral-tree 
(^/'l'///;'<z^^?),  with  scarlet  flowers,  is 
seen  everywhere;  also  palo  bianco, 
wilh  a  white  stem,  looking  like 
an  apple-tree.  The  year  1893  ^^''^^  ^^^  exceedingly  dry 
one  throughout  northern  Mexico.  My  mules,  oliliged 
t(j  travel  under  a  scorching  sun,  sometimes  had  to  be 
without  water  for  twenty-four  hours.  Still,  in  those  hot 
barrancas,  I  saw  no  difference  in  thi-  vegetation.  The 
trees  and  plants  did  not  seem  affected  by  rain  or  no  rain. 
The  onlv  exception  I  noticed  was  that  tlie  flat,  leaf-like 
joints  of  the  nopal  cactus  shrivelled  up  a  little  on  the 
surface,  i)Ut  the  fleshy  inside  seemed  as  juicv  as  ever. 
Even  during  the  dryest  season  the  trees  and  shrubs  here 
blossom  and   bear  fruit,  and   monimgs  and  evenings  the 


Cere  us  ccespitosus. 


INSFXT    PESTS  441 

air  is  filled  with  the  j)crfunic  of  acacia?,  cacti,  and  other 
plants.  One  is  at  a  loss  to  understand  how  the  cattle 
can  sLihsist  on  these  shrubs,  but  they  have  adapted  them- 
selves to  circumstances,  and  are  able  to  chew  up  the 
thick  stems  of  the  cacti,  in  fact  the  whole  plant,  with 
the  result,  however,  that  their  stomachs  are  so  filled 
with  spines  that  the  Mexicans  cannot  utilise  the  tripe. 
The  frui>;al  Indian  is  the  only  one  who  does  not  reject 
it,  but  manaoes  to  burn  off  the  biggest  spikes  while 
toasting  the  tripe  on  cinders. 

Near  Alorelos  are  ancient  house  ruins,  some  round 
and  some  square,  and  also  traces  of  circular  fortifica- 
tions built  of  loose  stones.  Several  of  the  latter  were 
from  sixteen  to  twenty  yards  in  diameter  and  located  on 
the  top  of  mountain  ridges.  The  remains  are  attributed 
to  the  Cocoyomes. 

The  commonly  accepted  idea  that  in  southern  lati- 
tudes anvthing  may  be  easily  cultivated  is  often  proved 
bv  actual  observation  to  be  fallacious.  Sometimes 
there  may  be  too  much  rain,  sometimes  not  enough. 
The  worst  enemies  of  plant-life  in  the  warm  countries 
are  the  many  pests.  One  evening  my  host,  Don 
Manuel  Perez,  showed  me  some  of  the  foes  he  had  to 
combat  in  order  to  maintain  his  garden.  Certain  kinds 
of  ants  bite  off  the  flowers  and  leaves  and  carry  away 
the  pieces.  The  insects  come  out  at  night  and  may 
strip  a  tree  of  its  leaves  and  fruits  before  morning.  It 
was  an  astonishing  sight  to  see  the  dark  stem  of  an 
elder  looking  as  if  it  were  green,  on  account  of  the  mul- 
titude of  ants,  each  of  which  carried  a  bit  of  green  leaf 
half  an  inch  long.  Every  evening  a  man  went  around 
to  burn  them  off  with  a  torch  of  resinous  pine-wood. 

Some  Tubar  Indians  were  induced  to  come  to  Mo- 
relos  to  be  measured  and  photographed.  The  few  repre- 
sentatives of  the  tribe  I  saw  had  ofood  ficfurcs  and  small 


4+2 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


hands  and  feet.  They  seemed  to  be  shy,  but  rather 
kind-hearted,  jolly  peoj)le,  resemblinii:  the  Tarahumares 
in  appearance.  They  are  found  from  the  villaire  of  San 
^Vndres,  three  miles  from  Morelos,  as  far  as  the  village  of 


Frunt   \'iew. 


Tubar  Man. 


Tubares.  According;  to  tradition  their  domain  extentled 
in  former  times  much  higher  up  on  both  sides  of  the  river, 
to  where  Baborigame  is  now.  But  thev  were  graduallv 
restricted  to  the  locality  on  which  the  remnant  of  the 
tribe  at  present  resides.  They  are  said  to  have  been 
fierce  and  constantly  fighting  the  Tarahumares.     There 


A   VANISHING   TRIBE 


443 


arc  now  not  more  than  a  coujjIc  of  dozen  puie-hrcd  Tu- 
bars  left,  and  onh^  li\e  or  six  of  these  know  their  own 
lano:ua_<^e,  which  is  related  to  the  Nahuatl.  The  name 
of  the  tribe  as  pronounced  by  themselves  is  Tuvalim. 


'i'ubar  Women. 

Most  of  the  Tubars  are  found  in  the  pueblo  of  San 
Miguel,  seventeen  miles  from  Morelos,  down  the  riven 
An  old  woman  told  me  that  she  did  not  know  what  the 
Tubars  had  done  that  they  were  disappearing  from  the 
world.  The  few  remaining  members  of  the  tribe  were 
related  to  one  another,  and  the  young  people  had  to  marrv 
Mexicans.  The  customs  of  the  Tubars  evidently  re- 
sembled  much   those  of    their  neighbours,   the  Tarahu- 


444  UNKNOWN    .MEXICO 

mares,  who  until  recent  years  invited  them  to  their 
dances.  The  Tubars  danced  yohe,  and  the  dancers  ac- 
companied their  sintjino^  bv  beating"  two  Hat  sticks,  like 
two  machetes.  Thev  did  not  use  hikuii.  In  the  sacristy 
of  the  church  in  the  old  Tubar  villag-e  of  San  Andres,  I 
found  a  complete  tesvino  oiittit,  jars,  sj)o()ns,  etc.,  the 
vessels  turned  bottom  uj:),  ready  for  use.  The  saints, 
too,  must  have  tesvino,  because  thev  are  ijreedv  and  ex- 
acting, and  have  to  be  propitiated.  The  Tubars  are 
said  to  have  worn  white  girdles. 

Mr.  Martman,  whom  1  left  in  San  Mio^uel  to  con- 
clude some  investigations,  returned  a  few  weeks  later  to 
the  United  States.  On  the  small  ])lateaus  near  San 
Miguel,  two  lumdred  feet  or  more  above  the  river,  he 
found  interesting  old  tomb^.  which  were  well  known  to 
the  inhabitants  under  the  name  of  dorcc^as.  The  pres- 
ence of  a  tomb  was  indicated  on  the  surface  by  a  circuit 
of  stones  from  three  to  five  feet  in  diameter  set  in  the 
ground.  There  were  groups  of  ten  or  twelve  circuits, 
and  the  tombs  underneath  were  found  at  a  depth  of  five 
or  si.K  feet.  They  consisted  of  small  chambers  excavated 
in  the  clayey  soil,  and  were  well  jireserved,  though  thev 
contained  no  masonry  work;  still  at  one  place  a  voke  of 
oxen  while  dragging  the  plough  had  sunk  down  into  the 
subterranean  cavity.  The  entrance  to  such  a  tomb  is 
from  one  side,  where  a   large  slab,  placed   in   a  slanting 

position,  protects  the  inside. 
Nothing  was  discovered 
in  the  four  tombs  that  were 
opened  but  some  curious  slate- 
coloured    beads  of   burnt  clav. 

Beads  of  Burnt  Clay,  from  Vv,,u\c  of  the  distriel  reported, 

Tubar  Tombs.    Natural  Size.  ■  i      • 

however,     thai     small     )ars     of 

earthenware  had  been  found  in  the  l>ori'(/iiis.      No  doubt 

the  absence  of  skeletons  was  due   sold}-  to   the   length 


TRAVELLING    BY    NIGHT  44^ 

of  time  that  liad  elapsed,  for  even  in  tiie  cemetery  of  the 
church  Mr.  liartman  found  similar  tombs  that  contained 
several  skeletons.  These  tombs  were  indicated  by  the 
same  kind  of  stone  circuits  as  the  rest,  but  were  only 
a!)Out  tiiree  feet  down  in  the  hard  clay,  and  had  no 
slabs  in  front  of  the  entrance.  In  one  of  them  Mr. 
Hartman  found  six  corpses  more  or  less  decomposed,  the 
sepulchre  having  evidently  been  used  for  a  long  time. 
In  the  same  cemetery  the  Mexicans  buried  their  dead. 

I  continued  my  journey  down  the  river  through  the 
country  once  inhabited  by  the  Tubars.  As  the  heat  was 
intense,  I  availed  myself  of  the  light  of  the  full  moon  and 
travelled  at  night.  Now  and  then  the  read  touched  the 
big  river  where  the  croaking  of  the  frogs  was  intensely 
doleful  and  monotonous,  but  withal  so  loud  that  on  a 
quiet  night  like  this  they  could  easily  be  heard  two 
miles  off. 

Warm  winds  fanned  me  to  sleep,  and  only  when  my 
mule  ran  me  against  some  spiny  branch,  did  I  wake  to 
find  myself  in  a  fantastic  forest  of  leafless,  towering 
cacti,  that  stood  motionless,  black,  and  silent  in  the  moon- 
light, like  spectres  with  numberless  arms  uplifted.  The 
overwhelming  noise  of  the  frogs  seemed  to  voice  their 
thoughts  and  forbid  me  to  advance  farther.  But  the 
mule  accelerated  its  pace,  the  shadows  glided  quicker  and 
quicker,  up  and  down  the  stony,  slippery  path  that  wound 
its  way  through  this  ghostly  forest. 

In  the  daytime  there  was  a  disagreeably  strong,  warm 
wind  blowintr,  makino-  it  difficult  even  to  get  the  saddles 
on  our  mules,  but  the  nights  were  calm.  At  the  pueblo 
of  San  Ignacio  nobody  speaks  the  Tubar  tongue.  Blue 
herons  have  a  permanent  breeding-place  here  on  an  al- 
most perpendicular  rock,  four  to  six  hundred  feet  high, 
where  I  counted  twenty  nests. 

In  travelling  down  to  Tierra  Caliente  there  is  one 


44^  UNKNOWN  Mr:xico 

place  at  whicli  oik'  must  leave  the  river  and  ascend  to 
the  pine  region.  This  is  below  the  village  of  Tuhares. 
The  river  narrows  here  and  forms  rapids,  and  it  has  been 
calculated  that  the  water  in  Hood-time  rises  sixty-five  feet. 
Alligators  do  not  go  above  these  rapids.  In  two  days' 
journey  from  Alorelos  one  may  reach  the  undulating 
country  of  Sinaloa,  hx  casta,  which  is  warmer  even  than 
the  barrancas. 

At  San  Ignacio  I  left  the  river,  and  turned  in  a 
nortlicasterly  direction  to  Batopilas.  After  five  days' 
pleasant  sojourn  at  Mr.  Shepherd's  hospitable  home 
there,  1  again  ascended  the  sierra,  and,  after  visiting  the 
Indians  of  Santa  Ana  and  its  neighbourhood,  arrived 
at  Guachochic.  Leaving  m\-  mules  here  in  charge  of 
my  friend  Don  Carlos  Garcia,  I  soon  started  again 
toward  the  northeast  on  my  way  back  to  the  United 
States,  passing  through  tne  Indian  ranches,  and  finally 
arriving  at  Carichic  (in  l\irahumare  Garichi,  "  where 
there  are  houses,"  probably  ancient)  on  July  31st.  At 
less  than  an  hour's  distance  from  the  place  I  was  over- 
taken by  a  thunder-storm,  the  heaviest  my  Mexicans  or 
I  had  ever  experienced.  In  a  few  minutes  the  almost 
level  fields  were  flooded  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see,  and 
the  road  we  followed  began  to  run  with  brown  water. 
As  we  advanced  through  the  mud,  the  small  arroyos 
were  rapidly  filling.  The  rain  did  not  abate,  and  the 
force  of  the  currents  steadily  increased.  When  only 
three  hundred  yards  from  the  town  we  found  ourselves 
at  the  edge  of  a  muddy  stream,  running  so  raj^idly  that 
it  tore  pieces  from  the  bank,  and  carried  small  pines  and 
branches  of  trees  with  it.  As  it  was  impossible  to  cross 
it,  we  had  to  wait,  however  impatiently,  for  the  rain  to 
subside  sufficiently  to  allow  us  to  wade  through  the 
water.  And  all  the  next  day  was  spent  in  drying  my 
things. 


ON    A   MOUNTAIN    ROAD  447 

One  year  later  I  was  ai^ain  in  (Jarichic,  and  from 
there  I  made  my  way  to  Guaehoehic.  One  night  1  had 
to  spend  in  the  house  of  a  civihsed  Indian,  as  it  rained 
too  heavily  for  us  to  remain  outdoors.  The  house  was 
made  of  stone  and  mud,  without  windows,  and  the  door 
had  to  be  closed  on  account  of  the  dogs.  There  was  no 
wav^  for  air  to  get  in  except  through  the  chimney,  over 
the  fireplace.  There  were  nine  people  and  one  baby  in 
the  small  room.      Strange  to  say,  I  slept  well. 

My  mules  and  outfit  had  been  well  taken  care  of  at 
Guaehoehic,  and  I  now  arranged  with  Don  Carlos  Garcia 
to  take  most  of  my  belongings  to  Guanazevi,  a  mining 
town  in  the  neighbouring  State  of  Durango,  while  with 
a  few  of  the  best  mules  I  crossed  Barranca  de  San  Carlos 
near  Guaehoehic,  and  pursued  my  way  through  regions 
inhabited  by  Tarahumares  and  Tepehuanes.  A  stammer- 
ing Tarahumare  was  observed,  the  only  Indian  with  this 
defect  that  has  come  to  my  notice. 

The  road  I  followed  to  Guanazevi  from  Guadalupe 
y  Calvo  leads  through  a  part  of  the  Sierra  Madre  which 
is  from  nine  to  ten  thousand  feet  high  and  uninhabited, 
and  for  two  days  we  met  nobody.  In  w^inter  the  region 
is  dreaded  on  account  of  the  heavy  snowfalls  that  are 
liable  to  occur  here.  Several  people  are  said  to  have 
perished,  and  one  freighter  on  one  occasion  lost  twenty- 
seven  mules.  In  the  wet  season  bears  are  numerous, 
and,  according  to  trustworthy  information,  have  at- 
tacked and  eaten  several  Tarahumares. 

We  camped  one  night  at  a  place  where  a  man  had 
been  killed  by  robbers  some  time  before,  and  one  of  the 
Mexicans  shudderingly  expressed  his  fear  that  we  should 
probably  hear  the  dead  man  cry  at  night.  This  led  to  a 
discussion  among  the  men  as  to  whether  the  dead  could 
cry  or  not.  The  consensus  of  opinion  was  that  the  dead 
could  cry,  but  they  could  not  appear.     This,  by  the  way, 


448  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

is  the  common  Indian  belief.  My  Tepchiiane  servant 
took  an  intense  interest  in  the  arguments.  His  face  be- 
came suddenlv  animated  with  fear,  and  the  thouo:ht  of 
the  dead  changed  him  from  an  indolent  fellow  into  a 
valuable  aid  to  my  chief  packer  in  watching;  the  animals 
at  night.  His  senses  became  so  keen  as  to  be  quite  re- 
assuring- in  regard  to  robbers  at  night,  and  from  that 
time  on  he  was  really  a  valuable  man,  active  and  alert. 

There  is  a  small  colon\'  of  Tarahumares  living  a  few 
miles  north  of  Guanazevi,  near  San  Pedro.  Here  I  ex- 
cavated some  corpses  that  had  been  buried  several  years 
before  on  a  little  plain,  llie  graves  were  about  four  feet 
deep.  In  Guanazevi  a  silver  "bonanza"  was  in  lull 
blast  and  much  activity  prevailed. 

We  were  now  outside  of  the  sierra  proper;  but  on 
the  route  south,  which  I  followed  for  several  days,  I 
was  never  farther  away  from  the  mountain  range  than 
thirty  miles.  At  Zape,  about  twenty  miles  to  the  south, 
there  are  some  ancient  remains.  As  the  principal  ones 
have  been  described  by  E.  Guillemin  Tarayre,  who  ex- 
plored Mexico  under  Maximilian,  it  is  not  necessary  for 
me  to  dwell  on  the  subject.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  walls 
constructed  of  loose  stones  are  commonly  seen  on  the 
crests  of  the  low  hills  and  are  attributed  to  the  Coco- 
yomes.  Circles  and  squares  made  of  stones  set  upright 
in  the  ground  may  also  be  seen,  and  nicely  polished 
stone  implements  are  frequently  to  be  found  near  by. 

Outside  of  Zape  are  a  number  of  ancient  burial-caves, 
which  have  been  disturbed  bv  treasure-seekers.  As  a 
curiosity,  I  mav  mention  that  a  Mexican  once  brought 
to  light  a  big  lump  of  salt  that  had  been  buried  there. 
It  was  given  to  the  cattle. 

One  afternoon  a  gav  little  procession  of  men  and 
women  passed  my  camp,  some  on  horseback,  others 
walking.     One  of  the  riders  played  the  violin,  another 


FUNERAL   CEREMONIES  449 

one  heat  a  drum.  An  old  wunian  who  just  then  stepped 
up  to  sell  something;  ex{)lained  to  me  that  "  an  angel  " 
was  heing  huried.  This  is  the  designation  a])plied  to 
small  ehildren  in  Mexico,  and  I  could  see  an  elahorate 
white  hundle  on  a  hoard  carried  aloft  hy  a  woman.  My 
informant  told  me  that  when  a  child  dies  the  parents 
always  give  it  joyfully  to  heaven,  set  off  iireworks  and 
dance  and  are  jolly.  They  do  not  weep  when  an  infant 
dies,  as  the  little  one  would  not  enter  Paradise,  hut 
would  have  to  come  hack  and  gather  all  the  tears. 

The  way  southward  led  through  undulating  coun- 
try devoid  of  interest.  To  judge  from  the  clusters  of 
ranches,  so  numerous  as  to  form  villages,  the  land  must 
be  fertile.  There  were  no  more  Indians  to  be  seen, 
only  Mexicans.  All  along  the  road  we  observed  crosses 
erected,  where  people  had  been  killed  by  robbers,  or 
where  the  robbers  themselves  had  been  shot.  A  man's 
body  is  generally  taken  to  the  cemetery  for  burial, 
whether  he  was  killed  or  executed,  but  a  cross  is  raised 
on  the  spot  where  he  fell.  The  crosses  are  thus  me- 
mentos of  the  reign  of  terror  that  prevailed  in  Mexico 
not  long  ago.  Most  of  the  victims  were  so-called 
Arabs,  or  travelling  peddlers,  sometimes  Syrians  or  Ital- 
ians, but  generally  Mexicans. 

The  most  important  place  I  passed  was  the  town  of 
Santiago  de  Papasquiaro,  which  is  of  some  size,  and 
situated  in  a  rich  agricultural  country.  The  name  of  the 
place  means  possibly  ''paz  qiiicro"'  ("I  want  peace"),  al- 
luding to  the  terrible  defeat  of  the  Indians  by  the  Span- 
iards in  the  seventeenth  century.  There  is  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  before  1593  this  central  and  western  part  of 
Durango  had  been  traversed  and  peopled  by  whites,  and 
that  many  Spaniards  had  established  haciendas  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  valley.  They  held  their  own  success- 
fully against  the  Tepehuanes  until  1616.  when  these,  to- 

Voi..  I. — ?9 


4)0  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

gethcr  with  the  Taraluiinaivs  and  other  tribes,  rebelled 
ag^ainst  them.  All  the  natives  rose  sinuiltaneouslv, 
killed  the  missionaries,  burned  the  ehiirehes,  and  drove 
the  Spaniards  away.  A  force  of  Indians  estimated  at 
25,000  marched  ao;ainst  the  city  of  Durango,  carrying- 
fear  everywhere,  and  threatening  to  exterminate  the 
Spanish  ;  i)ut  the  governor  of  the  province  gathered  to- 
gether the  whites  to  the  number  of  600,  "  determined 
to  maintain  in  peace  the  province  which  his  Catho- 
lic Majesty  had  placed  under  his  guardianship."  He 
routed  the  enemy,  leaving  on  the  field  more  than  15,000 
dead  insurgents,  without  great  loss  to  his  own  troops. 
The  Indians  then  sued  for  peace,  and  after  their  leaders 
had  been  duly  punished,  they  were  dispersed  to  form 
pueblos.  The  insurrection  lasted  over  a  year,  and  many 
bloody  encounters  between  the  natives  and  their  new 
masters  occurred  in  the  course  of  the  following  cen- 
turies, the  result  being  that  the  Indians  in  the  State 
of  Durango  have  not  been  able  to  maintain  themselves, 
except  in  the  extreme  northern  and  southern  sections. 

There  was  an  epidemic  of  typhoid  fever  in  some  of 
these  ranch-villages,  and  in  one  place  I  saw  two  dogs 
hung  up  in  a  tree  near  the  road,  having  been  killed  on 
account  of  hydrophobia.  A  strong  wind  was  blowing 
day  and  night  on  the  llanos  along  the  river-course, 
which  annoyed  us  not  a  little.  It  was  a  real  relief  to 
get  up  again  on  the  sierra,  about  fourteen  miles  south  of 
Papasquiaro,  and  find  ourselves  once  more  among  the 
quiet  pines  and  madronas. 


CHAPTER    XXV 

WINTER    IN     THE     HIGH     SIERRA — MINES — PUEBLO     NUEVO     AND     ITS 

AMIABLE     PADRE A    BALL     IN     MY      HONOUR SANCTA     SIMPLI- 

CITAS A     FATIGUING      JOURNEY     TO     THE     PUEBLO     OF     LAJAS 

AND      THE     SOUTHERN     TEPEHUANES DON't     TRAVEL     AFTER 

nightfall!  FIVE     DAYS     SPENT    IN    PERSUADING    PEOPLE    TO 

POSE  BEFORE  THE  CAMERA  THE  REGIME  OF  OLD  MIS- 
SIONARY TIMES STRANGERS  CAREFULLY  EXCLUDED EVERY- 
BODY     CONTEMPLATING     MARRIAGE     IS     ARRESTED SHOCKING 

PUNISHMENTS     FOR      MAKING      LOVE  BAD     EFFECTS      OF      THE 

SEVERITY    OF    THE    LAWS. 

THE  sierra  for  several  days'  journey  southward  is 
about  9,000  feet  high,  and  is  not  inhabited,  except 
in  certain  seasons  by  people  who  bring  their  cattle  here 
to  graze.  I  doubt  whether  anyone  ever  lived  here  per- 
manently. The  now  extinct  tribes,  to  whose  territory 
this  region  belonged,  dwelt,  no  doubt,  in  the  valleys  be- 
low. The  high  plateau  consists  of  small  hills,  and 
travelling  at  first  is  easy,  but  it  becomes  more  and 
more  rough  as  one  approaches  the  big,  broad  Barranca 
de  Ventanas. 

Having  passed  for  several  days  through  lonclv,  cold, 
and  silent  woods,  now  and  then  interspersed  with  a 
slumbering  snow-field,  it  was  a  real  pleasure  to  come  sud- 
denly, though  only  in  the  beginning  of  February,  upon 
plants  in  full  bloom  on  the  high  crest  that  faced  the 
undulating  lowlands  of  Sinaloa,  which  spread  themselves 
out  below,  veiled  in  mist.  The  warm  air  wafted  up  from 
the  Hot  Country  brings  about  this  remarkable  change 
in  the  flora  of  the  precipitous  inclines  toward  the  west» 

451 


4)2  UNKNOWN    iMEXICO 

The  air  was  filled  with  perfume,  and  it  was  lovely  to  be 
on  these  hic^h,  sunny  tops.  Foliaii^e  trees,  espeeially 
aiders,  began  to  ai)pear  anionic  the  })ines,  basking-  in 
the  dazzling"  sunshine.  I  also  notieed  soint'  tine  ferns 
spreading  out  their  graeeful  fronds. 

A  few  miles  farther  and  mueh  lower  I  made  eamj) 
above  the  Indian  pueblo  of  San  Pedro,  as  far  as  I  eould 
make  out  tiie  most  eastern  extension  of  the  northern 
Aztecs  (Mexicanos  or  Mexicaneros,  as  they  are  ealled 
here).  From  here  southward  I  found  them  in  many 
of  the  warm  valleys  of  the  Sierra  intermingled  with 
Tepehuanes  and  Coras. 

There  is  an  excellent  road  zigzagging  down  to  the 
mining  place  of  Ventanas  ("  Windows,"  from  the  forma- 
tion of  a  rock)  for  the  greater  part  of  the  distance  ;  but 
at  tlie  outset  the  way,  at  two  places,  is  so  narrow  that 
jiarties  coming  from  opposite  directions  could  neither 
pass  nor  turn  back,  which  is  not  pleasant  with  a  yawn- 
ing chasm  of  a  couple  of  thousand  feet  so  close  at  hand. 

I  was  anxious  to  secure  men  to  go  up  again  into  the 
sierra  and  farther  south  ;  but  the  people  were  afraid  of 
the  cold,  and  nobody  seemed  to  know  anvthing  about 
the  country  except  the  postmaster,  and  he  onl\-  in  a 
vague  way.  Mazatlan  is  not  much  more  than  loo  mi  Us 
off  and  Durango  125  miles.  There  are  here  a  great  manv 
dvkes  of  j)ori)hvrv  of  different  ages,  but  neither  slale  nor 
irranite  in  the  immediate  vicinit\',  though  there  is  some 
granite  farther  up  the  river. 

Among  the  mine-owners  who  lived  in  \'c-ntanas  I 
was  surprised  to  lind  a  Swt'dish  gentleman.  Tlie\-  all 
received  me  hospitably,  proxiding  me  also  with  two  men, 
whom  I  badlv  needed.  We  had  to  ascend  on  tiic  other 
side  of  th(;  bairanca  as  high  as  we  had  been  north  of  this 
place,  and  for  a  da\'  we  travelled  thiough  snow  and 
rain.      Corn  does  not  glow  here.      I^om   one   point    the 


PUEBLO    NUEVO  453 

Pacific  Ocean  can  be  seen.  We  then  descended  again 
a  couple  of  thousand  feet  to  the  vilhige  of  Chavaria, 
which  is  the  onh'  Mexican  viUage  I  liave  seen  where  the 
houses  had  gable  roofs  covered  with  shingles.  The 
walls  of  the  houses  were  adobe,  but  1  was  told  that  the 
earth  at  this  place  is  not  suitable  for  making  the  usual 
Hat  roofs. 

While  camping  here  I  saw,  on  the  15th  of  February, 
a  flock  of  six  giant  woodpeckers  pass  by  in  the  morning. 
Except  in  the  pairing  season  these  birds  are  not  seen  in 
such  numl)ers.  The  journey  over  a  high  part  of  the 
Sierra  Madre  to  the  Mexican  village  of  Pueblo  Nuevo 
requires  two  days.  On  the  second  day  I  obtained  a 
magnificent  view  toward  the  east  and  southeast.  The 
high  peak  towering  in  the  distance  is  Cerro  Gordo,  very 
broad  at  the  base  and  conical  in  shape.  Patches  of  snow 
were  visible  on  it,  and  snow  lay  in  the  crevices  wher- 
ever we  travelled. 

I  descended  through  magnificent  groves  of  cedar-trees 
to  Pueblo  Nuevo,  making  my  camp  on  top  of  a  hill,  from 
which  I  overlooked  the  little  settlement  and  the  valley 
in  which  it  nestles.  As  every  house  is  surrounded  by 
its  little  garden  of  orange-trees,  aguacates,  and  guavabas, 
the  landscape  presented  a  mass  of  verdure  of  different 
shades,  the  ugly,  often  dilapidated  houses  being  almost 
lost  in  the  green.  Lemons  grow  wild,  and  therefore 
there  is  no  sale  for  them.  Lemon  juice  mixed  with  milk 
is  in  many  parts  of  Mexico  considered  a  remedy  for 
dysentery. 

A  young  priest,  who  exercised  a  supreme  but  judi- 
cious authority  in  this  secluded  spot,  treated  me  with 
much  consideration.  He  took  an  honest  pride  in  the 
development  of  his  little  village,  and  showed  me  its 
sights,  first  the  church,  which  he  was  embellishing  in 
many  ways,  and  then  the  spring  which  supplied  the  j:)lace 


454  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

with  water,  and  where  the  women  i^^athered  to  wash  their 
clothes  and  gossip.  We  met  many  graceful  tiourcs  carry- 
ing jars  on  their  shoulders,  as  in  ancient  times. 

In  order  to  give  me  an  ()})|)ortunity  to  see  the  peo- 
])le,  el  Seiior  Cura  allowed  them  to  come  and  dance  on 
his  veranda.  His  organist  was  a  musical  genius,  and 
a  composer  of  no  mean  ability,  and  on  the  cabinet 
organ  the  priest  had  brought  from  Durango  on  nuile- 
back  he  played  not  only  hymns,  but  also  excellent  dance 
music. 

The  climate  here  was  delightful,  the  valley  fragrant 
with  the  perfume  of  oranges,  and  one  felt  reluctant  to 
leave  this  restful  camj).  But  I  was  soon  reminded  that 
nothing  in  this  world  is  jjcrfect,  as  one  night  a  storm 
lifted  my  tent  up  and  carried  it  several  yards  off,  leav- 
ing me  to  sleep  as  best  I  could  till  morning.  The  wiiul 
was  so  powerful  as  to  fell  trees. 

The  Pueblo  Nuevo  was  once  inhabited  by  Aztecs. 
The  present  inhabitants,  though  amiable,  are  indolent 
and  lazy,  and  there  is  a  saying  that  in  Durango  not 
even  the  donkeys  work.  I  therefore  had  consider- 
able trouble  in  finding  a  guide,  the  dilTicullv  being  aggra- 
vated by  the  fact  that  nobody  seemed  to  know  anything 
about  the  countrv  toward  Lajas,  the  Tepehuane  villngv: 
I  was  making  for. 

The  sierra  to  the  south  where  the  Tej)ehuanes  live  is 
not  frequented  by  the  people  here,  who  mainlain  com- 
munication only  toward  the  east,  j)rincipall\'  with  the 
cit\'  of  Durango,  where  they  market  their  garden  crops 
of  chile  and  tomatoes.  Nevertheless,  some  of  the  Tepe- 
huane pueblos  belong  to  the  Cura's  j)arish,  and  he 
seemed  to  be  the  only  one  who  could  give  definite  in- 
formation about  the  country  southward. 

The  track  leading  down  to  the  San  Diego  River  runs 
through    an     idyllic    valley    where     pictures(|uc    brooks 


ANOTHER   ASCENT  455 

trickle  down  the  slopes  between  groves  of  semi-tropi- 
cal vegetation.  In  one  of  the  limpid  streams  a  couple 
of  pretty  girls  were  bathing  and  washing  their  clothes, 
as  is  the  custom  among  the  poorer  classes  of  Mexico, 
who  rarely  possess  more  than  the  clothing  they  wear. 
As  we  appeared  on  the  scene,  they  gracefully  slipped 
into  a  deep  jk:)o1,  leaving  nothing  but  their  pretty  faces, 
like  water-lilies,  floating  above  the  crystal-clear  water, 
and  thus  nodded  a  friendly  greeting  toward  us. 

Not  more  than  ten  miles'  travel  brought  us  to  the 
San  Diego  River.  Its  source  is  said  to  be  in  the  sierra, 
apparently  toward  the  north,  and  it  flows  in  a  southerly 
direction.  It  was  not  very  difficult  to  cross,  but  in 
flood-time  it  must  be  large.  Its  elevation  at  this  point 
was  about  3,300  feet. 

Here  began  the  ascent  into  the  sierra  again.  Al- 
though the  road  on  the  first  day  was  very  good,  it  re- 
quired rather  hard  climbing  to  get  to  the  top.  I  was 
anxious  to  reach  my  destination  that  day,  which  was 
Saturdav,  in  order  to  be  in  time  for  the  p^atherino-  of  the 
Indians  in  the  pueblo  on  Sunday.  I  therefore  travelled 
on  after  nightfall,  though  the  road  was  much  longer 
than  I  expected,  leading  through  extensive  pine  forests, 
the  monotony  of  wdiich  was  interrupted  only  once  by 
the  appearance  of  a  couple  of  beautiful  macaos. 

Just  as  the  moon  rose,  we  entered  on  the  "spine  of 
the  coyote,"  as  the  Tepehuanes  call  a  narrow  ridge,  six 
to  eight  yards  broad,  with  yawning  abysses  on  both 
sides.  Then  we  came  on  grassy  slopes  covered  with 
trees.  What  a  magnificent  view  there  must  be  here, 
by  daylight,  of  this  wild  countrv  !  To  the  southeast 
could  clearly  be  seen  a  sloping  table-land  among  hills  ; 
I  even  could  distinguish  some  small  houses  on  it.  That 
was  Lajas.  It  appeared  to  be  but  a  league  off,  but  in 
reality  it  was  still  three  times  as  far  awav. 


4)6  UNKNOWN    iMEXICO 

W'c  descended  aiiionii"  oak-trees,  when  suddenlv  tlie 
track  ran  down  a  i)recij)itous  volcanic  rock,  utterly  im- 
practicable for  the  mides  to  follow.  Evidenth'  we  had 
strayed  on  a  side  trail  ;  and  while  we  ijuarded  the  mules, 
a  man  was  sent  back  to  look  for  the  main  track,  which 
luckily  was  found  after  a  short  time.  The  worst  of  it 
was  that  the  animals  had  to  be  led  back  one  by  one, 
along  the  side  of  a  dangerous  precipice,  and  it  was  a 
wonder  that  none  of  them  rolled  down  the  steep  sides. 
I  was  glad  when  we  could  safely  proceed  on  our 
way. 

It  is  disagreeable  to  travel  with  a  pack-train  after 
nightfall,  even  on  a  moonlight  night  like  this,  but  ])ar- 
ticularly  when  without  a  guide  and  on  an  unfamiliar 
track.  The  journey  seems  interminable.  The  fear  of 
losing  one's  road,  or  haxing  something  hajipen  to  the 
animals,  or  dropping  some  part  of  the  pack  ;  the  uncer- 
tainty regarding  what  camping-place  one  may  find  ;  and 
the  anxiety  lest  the  backs  of  the  animals  may  become 
sore,  while  the  men  are  getting  hungr\-  and  in  as  bad  a 
temper  as  one's  self, — all  tend  to  demonstrate  the  advis- 
ability of  going  into  camj)  when  the  sun  is  still  well 
above  the  horizon. 

Another  harassing  consideration,  which,  however, 
does  not  aj)pl\-  to  this  part  of  the  country,  is  the  i)os- 
sibility  of  arousing  a  susj)icion  that  ])ack-trains  which 
travel  at  night  carry  treasures. 

After  a  continuous  journev  of  ten  houis  and  a  half 
we  arrived  without  further  mishaps  at  F.ajas  at  9.30 
P.M.,  the  middle  of  the  night  in  that  i)art  of  the  world. 
One  of  my  men,  who  had  a  habit  of  singing  whenever 
we  entered  a  village,  had  been  ordered  to  keep  silent, 
that  the  people  in  this  lonelv  place,  susceptible  as  they 
are,  might  not  become  alaiiiie(l  at  the  sudden  aiiix'al  of 
such  a  j)artv. 


SAN    FRANCISCO    DE    LA  J  AS  457 

A  few  houses  lay  scattered  about  in  the  dim  nioon- 
li<rht,  and  1  with  mv  chief  man  rode  ahead.  "  Ave 
Maria  !  "  called  out  Catalino,  knocking'  at  the  doov  of  a 
hut.  "  God  give  you  a  good  night,"  he  continued,  hut 
there  was  no  response.  After  having  in  this  way  tried 
several  huts,  we  at  last  succeeded  in  getting  an  answer, 
and  learned  where  Crescendo  Ruiz  lived,  to  whom  the 
priest  in  Pueblo  Nuevo  had  given  me  a  letter  of  intro- 
duction, and  who  was  a  kind  of  secretary  to  the  Indians. 
We  now  directed  our  steps  toward  his  house,  aroused 
him  from  his  slumbers,  and  after  some  parleying  brought 
him  to  the  door.  He  was  a  small-statured,  kindly-look- 
ing man,  a  half-caste,  who  displayed  a  friendly  manner 
and  showed  me  where  I  could  camp  near  his  house. 
As  he  was  very  talkative,  it  was  late  in  the  night  before 
I  could  retire. 

The  name  of  the  village  is  San  Francisco  de  Lajas, 
the  word  /aja  (Hat  stone)  referring  to  stones  wdiich 
abound  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  Indian  name, 
"Eityam,"  has  the  same  meaning.  The  next  day  many 
Indians  came  fearlessly  and  curiously  up  to  see  me. 
They  wore  the  ordinary  dress  of  the  working-class  of 
Mexico,  except  that  their  flat  straw  hats  were  trimmed 
with  black  and  red  woollen  ribbons  and  some  flowers. 
The  women  had  flowers  and  leaves  in  their  hair,  which 
they  wore  in  Mexican  fashion,  in  two  braids.  Some  of 
the  men  had  their  hair  put  up  in  one  braid  and  fastened 
at  the  end  with  a  narrow  hair-ribbon,  but  most  of  them 
had  it  cut  short.  I  was  surprised  to  see  many  bald- 
headed  men,  some  not  over  thirty  years  old.  Surely  it 
must  be  more  healthy  for  the  hair  to  be  worn  long. 

Fortunately  for  me  the  Indians  had  just  come  into 
the  j)uel)lo  for  a  week  to  repair  the  old  adobe  church, 
in  which  work  Don  Crescendo  greatly  assisted  them. 
This  man,   nine  years  ago,  was   sent  to   the  place  as  a 


4,-8 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


Tepehuane  Sling 
made  from  Maguey 
Fibre.  Width,  lo 
ctm. 


teaclicr  by  ilic  Mexican  auLhorities  in 
Durango.  On  his  arrival  he  was  met  at 
the  old  curato  by  140  cliildren,  none  of 
whom  had  ever  seen  a  Mexican  before, 
and,  of  course,  they  did  not  understand 
a  word  of  Spanish.  They  soon  went 
back  to  their  homes,  and  five  days  after- 
ward the  i)rccc})tor  was  left  without  a 
pu])il.  He  induced  the  parents  to  make 
the  children  return,  and  48  came  back. 
Out  of  these,  five  remained  witii  him 
for  six  months.  At  the  close  of  that 
period  they  were  able  to  read  and  to  write  their  names. 
Of  late  years,  however,  teaching  has  been  given  up 
altogether.  The  fact  is  that  the  Indians  do  not  want 
schools,  "  because,"  as  an  intelligent  lluichol  afterward 
told  me,  "our  sons  lose  their  native  tongue  and  iheir 
ancient  beliefs.  When  they  go  to  school,  they  do  not 
want  to  worship  the  Sun  and  the  Water  any  more." 
The  white  teacher's  aim  should  be  to  incite  the  desire 
for  instruction  rather  than  to  force  his  {)upils  to  listen 
to  his  teachings ;  not  to  destroy  the  Indian's  mental 
world,  but  to  clear  it  and  raise  it  into  the  sphere  of  civil- 
isation. 

But  Don  Crescendo  remained  with  tlie  Indians  as 
their  "secretary"  (escribano),  attending  to  whatevei-  cor- 
respondence they  had  with  the  authorities,  and  gratlually 
becoming  their  factotum  and  adviser.  .As  he  was  an 
honourable  and  straightforward  man,  his  inlhience  was 
all  for  their  ofood.  To  swell  his  meagre  income,  he  car- 
vies  on  a  small  trade,  going  twice  a  year  to  Durango 
to  replenish  his  stores ;  and  so  invaluable  h;is  he  be- 
come to  the  Indians  that  they  send  some  men  along 
with  him  to  watch  that  he  does  not  remain  with  the 
'  neigid)ours."      lie  has   leained   the   lanouage   toleiably 


INDIAN   ARTICLES   OF   TRADE 


459 


well,  and  has  risen  to  such  imi)oi-tance  that  the  (^ohcr- 
nador,  as  I  saw  myself,  visited  him  every  morning,  ask- 
insT  his  advice  in  everv  movement. 

These  Indians  visited  me  all  day  long,  accompanied 
by  their  wives  and  children,  undauntedly  seating  them- 
selves in  front  or  out- 
side of  my  tent.  In  re- 
sponse to  my  expressed 
desire  to  see  and  buy 
articles  made  by  them, 
they  brought  me,  during 
my  short  stay  here,  gir- 
dles and  ribbons  of  wool 
or  cotton,  as  well  as  a 
great  variety  of  bags  of 
all  sizes,  knotted  from 
twine  of  maguey  fibre. 

The  people  here  do 
business  on  a  basis  en- 
tirely different  from  that 
of  the  "  neighbours," 
inasmuch  as  they  have 
a  fixed  price  for  every- 
thing". There  is  no 
bargaining  with  them  ; 
when  they  have  once 
told  the  price  of  a  thing 
(and  it  is  always  a  high 
one),  they  adhere  to  it 
firmly,  and  as  money  is 

no  object  to  them,  they  make  trading  rather  difficult. 
On  my  tours  among  the  people,  I  found  them  hospitable. 
They  always  asked  me  to  come  in  and  sit  down,  and  they 
have  good  manners. 

The  one    thing    they    strenuously  objected    to,   and 


Tepehuane  Pouch  made  from  Maguey 
Fibre.      Width  about  i6  ctm. 


460  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

which  they  were  dcadl}'  afiaitl  of,  was  the  camera,  and 
it  took  Don  Crescencio's  and  mv  own  combined  efforts 
for  five  days  to  induce  them  to  ])()se.  \Vhen  at  length 
they  consented,  they  looked  like  criminals  about  to  be 
executed.  They  believed  that  by  j)hotoo-raphing  a  per- 
son I  should  be  enabled  to  carr\'  his  soul  off  to  eat  it 
later,  at  my  ease,  if  I  chose.  Thcv  would  die  as  soon  as 
tlu'ir  ])ietures  arrived  in  my  country,  or  some  other  evil 
would  result,  anyhow.  The  women  disappeared  like 
frightened  quails,  when  I  was  about  to  perform  the 
dreadful  operation  on  the  men.  However,  most  of 
them  returned  to  see  how  their  spouses  stood  the  pain- 
ful ordeal.  When  I  then  asked  for  some  women  to 
pose,  they  ran  away,  in  spite  of  the  demonstrations  of 
the  men;  only  three  sturdy  ones  with  "great  souls" 
remained  and  were  "taken"  after  having  been  duly 
"  shaken  "  with  fears. 

The  Tepehuanes  feel  at  home  onlv  in  their  ranches. 
They  clear  land  in  the  numerous  little  vallevs  of  which 
their  rugged  country  consists,  and  plant  corn  in  places 
where  no  plough  could  ever  be  used. 

They  always  have  sufficient  corn  for  their  wants. 
Their  store-houses  are  square  upright  cribs  of  bamboo 
sticks  held  in  place  with  withes  on  a  framework  of  pine 
poles.  Sometimes  they  stand  at  considerable  distances 
from  the  dwellings.  The  fl(Jor  is  raised  about  a  foot 
above  the  ground,  and  the  entrance  is  made  from  the 
top.  The  ears  of  corn  can  i)lainl\'  be  seen  behiutl  the 
bamboo  sticks.  In  March  they  are  taken  out  and 
shelled,  and  the  corn  is  j)ut  in  home-made  sacks  and 
replaced  in  the  store-houses. 

The  Tepehuanes  make  pulque,  but  not  tesvino,  and 
cotton  is  cultivated  on  a  verv  small  scale.  The\' gather 
the  fibre  of  the  maguey  and  other  ])lants,  and  make  sacks 
and  roj)es  of  excellent    (pialitv,  for  their  own  use  as  well 


MANNERS   AND    CUSTOMS 


461 


as  foi'  sale  in  Duranii'o,  to  which  market  they  also  lake 
any  liiiit  not  required  lor  lioiiK'  eonsuiiij)tion. 

Their  onlv  ainusenieiit  is  to  drink  mescal  and  pukjiie. 
No  games  aie  in  use,  and  to  stake  money  or  valuables 
in  anv  of  the  "  neigiibours'  "  games  is  forbidden. 

The  commonest  disease  here,  strange  to  sav,  is  ma- 
laria, which  sometimes  proves  fatal.     The  first  thing  a 


I'cpchuane  Store-house,  near  I>ajas. 

Tepehuane  does  in  the  morning  is  to  wash  his  head,  face, 
and  hands  with  cold  water,  letting  it  dry  without  wiping 
it  off.  He  starts  to  do  his  work  with  the  water  dripping 
from  him. 

The  Southern  Tepehuanes  perform  a  religious  dance 
called  by  the  Mexicans  luitotc  :  it  is  also  found  among 
the  Aztecs,  the  Coras,  and  the  Huichols.  In  the  vicin- 
ity of  Lajas  is  a  circular  plain  set  pleasantly  among 
the  oak-trees.  This  is  the  dancing-place.  At  its  east- 
ern side  is  a  jacal,  a  gable-shaped   straw-roof  resting  on 


462  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

four  poles,  the  narrow  sides  standino;  cast  and  west.  In- 
side of  it  is  found  an  altar,  eonsistinaj  siniplv  of  a  mal- 
ting of  large,  split  hamhoo  sticks  {iapcxtc)  resting  on  a 
framework  of  four  horizontal  poles,  which  in  turn  arc 
sup])orted  by  two  pairs  of  uj)right  forked  sticks.  On  this 
altar  the  people  put  the  food  used  at  the  dances,  and 
many  ceremonial  objects  are  placed  here  or  hung  under 
the  roof  of  the  jacal. 

In  regard  to  their  native  religion,  they  are  as  reticent 
as  their  northern  brethren,  if  not  more  so.  "  I  would 
rather  be  hanged  than  tell  anything,"  said  one  shaman 
to  me.  Still,  all  things  come  to  him  who  waits.  This 
verv  man,  who  was  so  tragic,  became  my  friend,  and 
when  we  parted  he  asked  me  to  write  my  name  on  a 
piece  of  paper,  that  he  might  salute  me  every  morning. 
A  name  is  a  sacred  thing,  and  they  never  tell  their  real 
native  names. 

Nowhere  else  in  Mexico  have  the  institutions 
founded  by  the  missionaries  of  early  times  remained  in- 
tact as  in  Lajas.  Not  only  so,  but  the  regulations  ai"e 
cairied  even  further  than  was  originally  intended,  and 
this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  Indians  have  not  given 
up  their  own  ancient  religion.  No  priest  is  now  living 
among  them  ;  and  only  at  rare  intervals  does  the  Cura 
come  from  Pueblo  Nuevo  to  l)a{)tise  ami  mairy. 

The  native  chosen  civil  authorities  are  composed 
of  fourteen,  the  ecclesiastical  of  seven  members.  The 
gobernador  has  supreme  authority  with  both  bodies,  and 
when  im|)()rtant  matters  are  at  issue  tlu'  i)e()])le  are 
brought  together  and  considted.  The  decisions  or  orders 
are  given  to  the  so-called  captain,  who  sees  that  thev  are 
carried  into  effect.  The  officers  are  elected  evei\'  year, 
and  meet  in  sessions  almost  ever\'  day,  to  settle  the 
affairs  of  the  ])e()ple,  and  to  iiilliet  punishment  even  on 
the  shamans  when  necessaiy.      Tliey  have  recently  reno- 


SEVERE    PUNISHMENTS  463 

vatcd  the  prison,  and  j)Ut  in  a  new  set  of  stoeks;  and  the 
\vhipj)ing-j)ost  is  still  in  eonstant  use,  to  supplement  the 
laws  of  the  Mexiean  Government,  whieh  are  eonsidered 
altogether  too  mild. 

The  punishments  which  these  people  inflict  are  se- 
vere and  barharous.  I  have  heard  that  Mexican  crimi- 
nals, who  have  been  caught  and  punished  by  them,  on 
complaining  of  their  harsh  treatment  to  the  government 
authorities,  did  not  receiv^e  any  sympathy,  the  latter  no 
doubt  considering  it  meritorious  rather  than  otherwise, 
on  the  part  of  the  Indians,  to  maintain  order  so  effect- 
ually without  the  aid  of  soldiers.  The  captain  in  Lajas 
is  on  duty  day  and  night,  watching  that  nothing  unto- 
ward may  happen  to  man,  beast,  or  property.  But  few 
strangers  come  to  this  remote  pueblo,  and  no  one  can 
pass  it  unnoticed.  The  only  trail  that  runs  through  the 
place  is  swept  every  afternoon  with  branches  of  trees, 
and  the  next  morning  it  is  examined  by  the  captain  to 
ascertain  if  anyone  has  gone  by.  White  men  are  wisely 
prohibited  from  settling  here  ;  and  when  a  "  neighbour  " 
comes,  his  business  is  at  once  inquired  into,  and  sufficient 
time,  perhaps  a  night  and  a  day,  is  given  him  to  attend 
to  it,  after  which  he  is  escorted  out  of  the  village. 

Safety  to  life  and  property  is  thus  insured  among 
these  Indians.  "  I  guarantee  you  that  none  of  vour  ani- 
mals will  be  stolen  here,"  Crescendo  said  to  me  the  first 
night,  and  a  very  short  experience  convinced  me  that 
he  was  right.  Theft  is  practically  unknow^n  here,  unless 
some  "neighbour"  tempts  an  Indian  with  a  promise  of 
a  ])art  of  the  l)Ooty. 

Murder  is  committed  only  by  intoxicated  individuals, 
and  then  the  culprit  is  chained  in  the  stocks  for  three  or 
four  weeks,  and  gets  a  whipping  at  regular  intervals. 
Afterward  he  is  sent  to  the  Mexican  authorities  in  the 
city  of  Durango  to  be  dealt  with  according  to  the  law. 


4^4  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

There  is  no  eapilal  i)unishnieiU  for  inurder  in  Me.xico, 
and  wiien  criminals  liave  served  tlieir  terms  and  leturn 
to  their  native  village  the  Indians  may  even  send  them 
back  to  Durango,  saying  that  they  arc  better  off  with- 
out them.  Suicide  is  unknown.  When  murder  or 
theft  has  been  perpetrated,  they  do  not  at  once  trv  to 
apprehend  the  suspected  person,  but  first  call  the  shaman 
to  ascertain  by  divination  who  the  culprit  may  be,  bv 
placing  ceremonial  arrows,  smoking  tobacco,  and  wav- 
ing plumes. 

I  was  told  that  three  years  ago  two  travelling  Mexi- 
can peddlers  arrived  here,  and  after  having  done  a  little 
trading  went  away  without  informing  the  authorities  of 
their  departure.  This  aroused  the  suspicion  of  the  Ind- 
ians, who  began  to  look  around  to  see  what  was  miss- 
ing. Two  cows,  it  seemed,  had  disappeared,  and  in  two 
days  the  peddlers  were  overtaken,  brought  back,  put  in 
the  stocks,  and  held  in  prison  for  eight  days,  and  three 
times  a  day  they  received  a  thrashing.  They  had  very 
little  food.     They  were  fmallv  taken  to  Durango. 

Once  two  cows  and  an  ox  were  stolen  from  Cres- 
cendo, and  the  Indians  followed  the  tracks  of  the 
thieves,  their  leader  frequently  touching  the  earth  with 
his  hands  to  assure  himself  by  the  smell  thai  tiie\-  were 
going  in  the  right  direction.  After  a  while  two  Tepe- 
huanes  and  their  accomplice,  the  "  neighbour"  who  had 
put  them  up  to  the  crime,  were  caught.  The  "neigh- 
bour," as  soon  as  he  arrived  in  the  village,  was  given 
twentv-five  lashes,  and  for  two  hours  was  subjected  to 
the  agonizing  torture  of  hax'ing  his  head  and  his  feet  in 
the  stocks  at  the  same  time.  Next  day  he  was  given  ten 
lashes,  and  the  following  dav  five,  and  eight  days  later 
thev  took  him  to  Durango.  llis  two  Indian  associates, 
father  and  son,  were  also  put  in  the  stocks,  and  for  two 
weeks  each  of  them  Jiot  dailv  four  lashes  and  verv  little 


FAITHS— OLD   AND   NEW  465 

food  ;  besides  which  their  l)hinkets  were  taken  away  from 
them. 

Although  the  Tepeluianes  keej)  up  their  ancient  rites 
and  lieliefs  alon<i^  with  the  new  reli!L2:i()n,  they  strictly 
comply  with  the  external  form  of  Christianity,  paying 
due  attention  to  all  the  Christian  feasts  and  observ'ances. 
Every  dav  the  bells  of  the  old  church  are  rung,  and  the 
saints  "  are  put  to  bed,"  as  the  Indians  express  it. 
When  Crescencio  first  came  here  he  found  the  people 
on  Sundays  in  the  church,  the  men  sitting  on  benches 
and  the  women  on  the  tioor.  Thev  had  ""athered  there 
from  habit,  though  nobody  knew  how  to  pray,  and  they 
sat  around  talking  and  laughing  all  the  time.  It  was 
their  Christian  worship.  Crescencio  has  now  taught 
them  to  say  pra3^ers. 

The  teachings  of  Christianity,  however,  are  for  the 
most  part  forgotten.  No  trace  of  the  religion  of  charitv 
remains  among  them,  but  the  severity  of  the  early  mis- 
sionaries survives,  and  their  mediaev^al  system  of  punish- 
ment. Evidently  the  tribe  always  entertained  extreme 
views  regarding  the  relation  of  the  two  sexes  toward 
each  other,  or  else  the  spirit  of  the  new  law  would  never 
hav^e  been  imbibed  so  eagerly.  "  The  slightest  want  of 
modesty  or  exhibition  of  frivolity  is  sufficient  reason  for 
a  husband  to  leav^e  his  wife,  and  for  young  women  never 
to  marry,"  says  Padre  Juan  Fonte,  of  the  Tepehuane 
Indians.  There  is  no  sign  of  relaxation  in  their  strict- 
ness, or  of  any  inclination  to  adopt  more  modern  views 
on  marital  misdemeanour. 

In  the  greater  number  of  cases  husband  and  wife 
live  happily  together  "till  death  doth  them  part."  If 
either  should  prove  unfaithful,  they  immediately  sepa- 
rate, the  wife  leaving  the  children  with  the  husband  and 
going  to  her  parents.  Then  the  guilty  one  and  the  co- 
respondent are  jHuiished  by  being  {)ut  in  the  stocks  and 

Vol.  I. — 30 


466  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

given  a  public  whipping  daily  for  one  or  two  weeks. 
Neither  of  the  parties  thus  separated  is  permitted  to 
marrv  again. 

If  a  girl  or  widow  has  loved  "not  wiselv.  but  too 
well,"  she  is  not  interfered  with  until  her  child  is  born, 
A  day  or  two  after  that  she  and  the  baby  are  put  into 
prison  for  eight  or  ten  days,  and  she  is  compelled  to 
divulge  the  name  of  her  })artner.  The  man  is  tiien  ar- 
rested and  not  only  ])ut  into  prison,  but  in  the  stocks 
besides.  There  are  no  stocks  for  women,  onlv  two  hori- 
zontal  bars  to  which  their  hands  are  tied,  if  they  refuse  to 
betray  their  lovers.  The  two  culprits  are  kept  sepa- 
rate, and  their  families  bring  them  food.  Twice  a  day 
messenofers  are  sent  throuQ-h  the  villa2:e  to  announce 
that  the  punishment  is  about  to  be  executed,  and  many 
people  come  to  witness  it.  The  judges  and  the  parents 
of  the  dclin(iuents  reprimand  the  unfortunate  couple, 
then  from  two  to  four  lashes  are  on  each  occasion  in- 
flicted, first  upon  the  man  and  then  upon  the  woman. 
These  are  applied  to  an  unmentionable  part  of  the  back, 
which  is  bared,  the  poor  wretches  standing  with  their 
hands  tied  to  the  pole.  The  executioner  is  given  mes- 
cal that  he  may  be  in  proper  spirit  to  strike  hard.  The 
woman  has  to  look  on  while  the  man  is  being  punished, 
just  as  he  afterward  has  to  witness  his  sweetheart's 
chastisement.  She  opens  her  eyes  "like  a  cow,"  as  my  in- 
formant expressed  it,  while  the  man  generalh-  looks 
down. 

Many  times  the  judges  are  ashamed  to  go  through 
this  performance,  the  character  of  which  is  below  the 
standard  of  j)roprietv  of  most  i)iiinilive  tribes  ;  but, 
strange  to  say,  the  parents  themselves  compel  them  to 
let  the  law  have  its  course.  Afterward  the  girl  is 
handed  over  to  her  lover  in  order  that  thev  may  become 
officially  married  b\-  the  (Munch  tiie  next  time  the  priest 


COURTSHIP    AND    MARRIAGE  467 

arrives.  This  may  not  ha})pcn  for  two  or  three  years, 
but  the  two  are  meanwhile  allowed  to  live  together,  the 
girl  going  to  her  lover's  home.  To  avert  all  the  misery 
in  store  for  her,  an  unfortunate  woman  may  try  to  doc- 
tor herself  by  secretly  taking  a  decoction  of  the  leaves 
of  the  chalate.  a  kind  of  fig-tree. 

Sometimes  punishment  is  dealt  out  to  young  people 
for  being  found  talking  together.  Outside  of  her  home 
a  woman  is  absolutely  forbidden  to  speak  to  any  man 
who  does  not  belong  to  her  own  immediate  family. 
When  fetching  water,  or  out  on  any  other  errand,  she 
must  under  no  circumstances  dally  for  a  chat  v/ith  a 
"gentleman  friend."  Even  at  the  dancing-place  it  is 
against  the  law  for  her  to  step  aside  to  exchange  a  few 
words  with  anv  vouno-  man.  If  discovered  in  such  a 
compromising  position,  both  offenders  are  immediately 
arrested,  and  their  least  punishment  is  two  days' 
imprisonment.  If  their  examination  by  the  judges 
proves  that  their  conversation  was  on  the  forbidden 
topic  of  love,  they  get  a  whipping  and  may  be  com- 
pelled to  marry. 

Some  of  the  boys  and  girls  who  have  been  punished 
for  talking  together  in  this  manner,  are  so  frightened 
that  they  never  want  to  marry  in  Lajas,  but  the  more 
defiant  ones  deliberately  allow  themselves  to  be  caught, 
m  order  to  hasten  their  union  and  steal  a  march  on 
their  parents.  For  these  Indians  are  by  no  means 
beyond  the  darts  of  Cupid,  and  both  men  and  women 
are  known  to  have  arranged  with  a  shaman  to  influence 
the  objects  of  their  tender  thoughts,  and  have  paid  him 
for  such  service.  A  woman  may  give  a  shaman  a  wad 
of  cotton,  which  he  manages  to  put  into  the  hand  of 
the  young  man  for  whom  it  is  intended.  Afterward 
the  shaman  keeps  the  cotton  in  his  house,  the  affectiop 
having  been  transmitted  by  it. 


468  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

On  the  other  hand,  men  and  women,  to  subdue  their 
natural  instincts,  go  into  the  fields  and  grasp  the 
branches  of  certain  sensitive  plants.  iVs  the  plant  closes 
its  leaves,  the  girls  i^ay  that  they  may  be  able  to  shut 
lliemselves  up  in  themselves.  There  are  two  kinds  of 
sensitive  plants  growing  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Lajas 
{^Mimosa  fioribiuida,  van  albida,  and  Jllwiosa  z'/ii'/sa), 
and  recourse  may  be  had  to  either  of  them.  Many  men 
emigrate  to  other  pueblos,  though  they  may  in  time  re- 
turn. Others  remain  bachelors  all  their  lives,  and  the 
judges  in  vain  offer  them  wives.  "  Whv  should  we 
take  them  ?"  they  say.  "  Vou  have  thrashed  us  once, 
and  it  is  not  possible  to  endure  it  again."  The  legiti- 
mate way  of  contracting  marriage  is  to  let  the  parents 
make  the  match.  When  the  old  folks  have  settled  the 
matter  between  themselves,  they  ask  the  judges  to 
arrest  the  boy  and  girl  in  question,  whereupon  the 
young  people  are  put  into  prison  for  three  days.  The 
final  arrangements  are  made  before  the  authorities,  and 
then  the  girl  goes  to  the  home  of  the  boy  to  await  the 
arrival  of  the  priest. 

When  the  Senor  Cura  is  expected  in  Lajas.  all  the 
couj)les  thus  united,  as  well  as  all  persons  sus])ected  of 
harbouringr  unsafe  tendencies,  are  arrested.  On  the 
priest's  arrival,  he  finds  most  of  the  young  people  of 
the  place  in  prison,  w^aiting  for  him  to  marry  them. 
For  each  ceremony  the  Indians  have  to  jiav  $5,  and 
from  now  on  every  married  couple  has  to  ])a\'  $1.50  i)er 
year  as  subsidy  for  the  priest.  No  marriage  in  Lajas  is 
contracted  outside  of  the  prison.  Crescencio  himself, 
when  about  to  marry  a  Tepehuane  woman,  barely  es- 
caped arrest.  Only  by  threatening  to  leave  them  did 
he  avoid  punishment  ;  but  his  bride  had  to  submit  to 
the  custom  of  her  tribe. 

Contrary  to  what  one  might  expect,  unhappy  unions 


A   GENERAL   SURVEY  469 

arc  rare.  Pr()t)al)l\'  the  voung"  pcoj)lc  are  glad  to  rest  in 
the  safe  harl)()iir  of  matrimony,  after  experiencing  how 
much  the  \va\'  in  and  out  of  it  is  beset  with  indignities 
and  leads  through  the  prison  gates.  However,  im])rison- 
ment  for  love-making  does  not  aj:»pear  so  al)surd  to  the 
al)original  mind  as  it  does  to  us,  and  the  tribe  has 
accommodated  itself  to  it.  I  learned  that  some  of  the 
boys  and  girls  after  a  whi})ping  go  to  their  homes  laugh- 
ing. 

The  obligation  to  denounce  young  people  whom 
one  has  found  talking  together,  under  penalty  of  being 
punished  one's  self  for  the  omission,  does  not  create  the 
animosity  that  might  be  expected.  Besides,  the  law  on 
this  point  is  none  too  strictly  obeyed  or  enforced. 

According  to  Crescendo,  the  census  taken  in  1894 
enumerated  900  souls  belonging  to  Lajas,  and  there  may 
probably  be  altogether  3,000  Tepehuanes  here  in  the 
South.  As  far  as  1  was  able  to  ascertain,  the  follow- 
ing Tepehuane  pueblos  are  still  in  existence  : 

1.  San  Francisco  de  Lajas. 

2.  Tasquaringa,  about  fifteen  leagues  from  the  city  of 

Durango.  The  people  here  are  little  afifected  by 
civilisation,  though  a  few  Mexicans  live  among 
them. 

3.  Santiago  Teneraca,   situated  in   a  deep   gorge.     The 

inhabitants  are  as  non-communicative  as  at  Lajas, 
and  no  Mexicans  are  allowed  to  settle  within  their 
precinct.  This,  as  well  as  the  preceding  village, 
belongs  to  Mezquital,  and  the  padre  from  there 
visits  them. 

4.  Milpillas  Chico,  where  the  Indians  are  much  mixed 

with  Mexicans. 

5.  Milpillas  Grande.     Here  the  population  is  composed 

of  Tepehuanes,  Aztecs,  and  Mexicans. 

6.  Santa  Maria  Ocotan,  and 

7.  San  Francisco,  both  little  affected  bv  civilisation. 


4/0  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

8.  Ouiviquinta,  about  fifteen  leagues  southwest  of  Lajas. 
The  latter  three  villages  belong  to  the  State  of 
Jalisco. 

On  the  road  from   Durango    to    Mazatlan,    passing 
Ventanas,  there  are  no  Tepehuane  pueblos. 


CHAPTER    XXVI 

PUEBLO    VIEJO — THREE   LANGUAGES    SPOKEN    HERE — THE    AZTECS 

THE     MUSICAL    BOW — THEORIES    OF     ITS    ORIGIN — DANCING    MI- 
TOTE FASTING     AND     ABSTINENCE HELPING    PRESIDENT    DIAZ 

THE    IMPORTANCE    OF    TRIBAL    RESTRICTIONS PRINCIPLES   OF 

MONOGAMY DISPOSITION    OF    THE    DEAD, 

THERE  are  two  days  journey  over  rough  country 
to  Pueblo  Viejo,  my  next  objective  point.  Again 
I  had  great  difficulty  in  finding  a  guide,  as  the  two  vil- 
lages were  at  loggerheads  about  some  lands.  The  guide 
furnished  me  by  the  authorities  hid  himself  when  we  were 
about  to  start.  All  the  other  Indians  had  gone  back 
to  their  ranches,  except  one,  whom  I  finally  persuaded 
to  show  me  the  way  at  least  as  far  as  the  ranch  of  the 
shaman  with  whom  I  had  made  friends,  where  1  hoped 
that  through  him  I  might  get  another  guide.  On  our 
way,  we  passed  Los  Retablos  ("Pictures  drawn  on  a 
Board"),  the  rather  fantastic  name  of  a  magnificent 
declivity  of  reddish  rock,  across  which  the  track  led. 
At  this  place,  tradition  says,  the  Tepehuanes  of  Lajas, 
in  the  war  of  independence,  vanquished  300  Spanish 
soldiers,  who  were  trying  to  reach  the  city  of  Durango 
from  Acaponeta.  The  Indians  had  hidden  themselves 
all  around  and  above  the  steep  slope,  and  from  their 
ambuscades  rolled  stones  down  on  the  Spaniards,  every 
one  of  whom  was  killed. 

Having  gotten  my  mules  safely  over  this  dangerous 
track,  where  they  could  never  have  been  rescued  if  they 
had    lost  their  footing,    I    arrived  after  a  while  at  the 

471 


472  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

home  of  the  shaman,  near  which  1  camped.  When  I 
went  up  to  the  house,  I  found  it  em{)ty,  and  was 
bareh'  in  time  to  see  a  woman  making'  her  escape  witli  a 
child  as  best  she  could.  I  realised  that  if  the  shaman 
did  not  return  that  evening  or  early  next  day,  I  should 
have  to  return  to  Lajas.  The  plaintive  trum})et  sound 
of  a  giant  woodpecker  about  sunset — as  far  as  we  could 
make  out,  the  only  living  being  in  the  vicinity — did 
not  detract  from  the  gloominess  of  the  prospect. 

Luckily,  however,  my  shaman  friend  came  to  my 
tent  at  daybreak  next  morning,  and  thus  relieved  my 
anxiety.  Though  exceedingly  busy  cutting  down  trees 
and  shrubs  to  clear  his  field,  he  spared  one  of  his  helpers 
to  show  me  the  way  to  Hormigas  (ants),  charging  only 
three  reales  for  the  accommodation,  and  one  real  extra 
(twelve  cents  in  Mexican  money)  to  be  paid  to  the  man 
in  case  I  should  want  him  to  go  farther  and  show  me 
the  way  to  Aguacates.  I  also  improved  the  opportunity 
to  get  from  him  some  ethnological  information  and  a 
short  Tepehuane  vocabulary. 

Thus  with  lightened  heart  I  started  off  through  a 
country  that,  while  it  did  not  present  any  remarkably 
steep  ascents  and  descents,  was  very  rough  and  hard  to 
travel.  The  main  sierra  is  here  very  narrow,  and  the 
large  mountainous  mass  broken  up  into  irregular  ridges 
and  steep  valleys.  The  next  dav,  much  of  the  time 
we  followed  a  high,  rocky  ridge,  the  highest  point  of 
which  is  called  Mojoneras.  Here,  ten  miles  north 
of  Pueblo  \"iej{),  the  boundary  line  of  the  territory  of 
Tepic  is  said  to  run.  For  sex'cral  miles  on  the  road, 
and  j)ai  ticularh-  from  the  last-mentioned  ridge,  magnifi- 
cent views  of  the  wild  country  northward  jiresent  them- 
selves, over  the  steep  descent  into  the  canons  and  gorges 
of  the  western  part  of  the  Sierra  Madre.  Only  three 
Tepehuane  ranches  were  observed. 


AT    1^1  EBLO    VIEJO  473 

I  arrived  without  any  mishap  at  I^uchlo  A'icjo,  whicli 
is  inhahiU'd  mainly  by  .Vztccs.  Of  late  years  they 
have  become  much  mixed  with  the  Tepehuanes,  wiio 
have  here  taken  refuge  from  drought  and  the  advancing 
"  neighbours."  Indian  settlers  who  thus  come  from 
other  }nieblos  are  called  })oblanos.  They  receive  land 
from  the  community  in  return  for  the  services  they 
render,  and  the  two  tribes  freely  intermarry,  although 
"neighbours"  are  never  allowed  to  settle  within  the 
confmes  of  the  village.  Still  the  people,  who  have  con- 
siderable intercourse  with  Acaponeta,  and  who  also  go 
some  distance  to  work  in  the  mines  of  Sinaloa,  speak 
Spanish  quite  well.  Indeed,  of  the  three  languages 
spoken  here,  Spanish  is  the  one  most  generally  heard. 
Several  Nahuatlan  words  have  been  forgotten,  and  in 
making  out  my  Hst  of  collections  I  had  great  difficulty 
in  getting  designations  for  some  of  the  objects,  for  in- 
stance the  word  for  "quiver,"  and  for  the  curious  rat- 
tling anklets  used  by  dancers.  Only  elderly  people 
speak  Nahuatl  correctly,  and  the  Tepehuane  influence  is 
strong  here,  even  in  the  ancient  religion  of  the  people. 
It  was  curious  to  note  that  many  people  here,  as  in 
Lajas,  eat  neither  hens  nor  sheep,  while  they  freely  par- 
take of  beef. 

People  here  are  more  intelligent  and  much  less 
reticent  than  in  Lajas.  Women  when  addressed  will 
answer  you,  while  in  Lajas  the  inhabitants  are  guarded, 
and  suspicious  even  of  other  Indians,  not  to  speak  of 
"neighbours."  Another  difference  is  that  very  few 
drink  mescal. 

At  a  meeting  I  had  with  the  Indians,  I  remarked, 
m  my  desire  to  please  them,  that  the  Mexican  Govern- 
ment was  interested  to  know  whether  they  were  get- 
ting on  well  or  whether  thev  were  coming  to  an  end. 
To   this  the  principal   speaker   at   once   laughingly   re- 


474  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

joined  :     "Of  course,  they  want  to  know  how  soon  they 
can  '  fmish  '  us  !  " 

The  Indians  here  have  the  usual  trouble  from 
"neighbours"  trying  to  encroach  upon  their  territory. 
Once  a  delefration  from  this  and  the  nei^-hbourinti; 
pueblos  undertook  a  journey  to  the  City  of  Mexico  in 
order  to  settle  the  troubles  about  their  land.  They 
stopped  eleven  days  in  the  capital  and  were  well  re- 
ceived by  the  Ministerio  del  Fomento ;  but  their 
money  gave  out  before  they  finished  their  business,  and 
they  had  to  walk  all  the  way  back  without  having  ac- 
complished anything, 

I  found  these  Indians  law-abiding  and  obliging,  and 
I  had  no  great  difficulty  in  securing  permission  to  be 
present  at  a  mitote,  which  was  to  be  given  at  a  ranch 
in  the  neighbourhood.  On  March  24th,  a  little  before 
sunset,  we  started  out  on  a  ride  of  an  hour  and  a  half, 
ascending  some  3,000  feet  on  a  winding  Indian  trail  up 
to  a  high  mesa.  It  was  a  starlit,  beautiful  night,  but  the 
magnificent  view  which  this  mesa  commanded  could  onlv 
be  surmised.  There  are  a  few  ranches  here  owned  by 
people  from  the  pueblo  below,  a  man  sometimes  living 
in  his  ranch  here  during  the  wet  season,  while  for  the 
remainder  of  the  year  he  occupies  one  in  the  pueblo. 
As  we  entered  on  the  plain  we  could  distinctly  hear  the 
beating  of  the  tawitol,  the  musical  instrument  of  the 
Tepehuanes.  At  this  distance  it  sounded  like  a  big 
drum. 

We  passed  the  ranch  which  was  giving  the  mitote, 
and  a  hundred  yards  farther  on  we  came  upon  a  j)ict- 
uresque  scene.  Here  on  a  meadow  the  Indians  were 
grouped  around  the  many  fires  whose  lights  fiiekered 
among  the  trees.  There  was  just  a  pause  in  the  dan- 
cing, which  liad  begun  soon  after  sunset.  I  could  at 
once    discern  a  little    plain  set  apart   for   the   dancing. 


THE   MUSICAL   BOW   OF   AMERICA     475 

On  ils  eastern  side  was  an  altar  of  the  usual  deseri})- 
tion,  feneed  on  two  sides  with  felled  trees,  on  which 
were  hun^-  the  paiaphernalia  of  the  dancers,  their  bows, 
quivers,  etc.  In  the  centre  of  the  dancincr-place  was  a 
laro-e  fire,  and  to  the  west  of  it  the  shaman  was  seated 
on  a  stool.  Behind  him,  similar  though  smaller  stools 
were  set  for  the  owner  of  the  ranch  and  the  principal 
men. 

Strange  to  say,  the  shaman  was  a  Tepehuane.  I 
learned  later  that  the  Aztecs  consider  the  shamans  of 
that  tribe  better  than  their  own.  In  front  of  the  sha- 
man  was  the  musical  instrument  on  which  he  had  been 


The  Musical  Bow  of  the  Tepehuanes  of  the  South,  and  of  the  Aztecs. 
Length  of  Bow,  i  m.  36.5  ctm. 

playing.  This  was  a  large,  round  gourd,  on  top  of  which 
a  bow  of  unusual  size  was  placed  with  its  back  down. 
The  shaman's  right  foot  rested  on  a  board  which  holds 
the  bow  in  place  on  the  gourd.  The  bow  being  made 
taut,  the  shaman  beats  the  string  with  two  sticks,  in  a 
short,  rhythmical  measure  of  one  long  and  two  short 
beats.  When  heard  near  by,  the  sonorousness  of  the 
sound  reminds  one  of  the  'cello. 

This  is  the  musical  bow  of  America,  which  is  here 
met  with  for  the  first  time.  It  is  intimately  connected 
with  the  religious  rites  of  this  tribe,  as  well  as  with 
those  of  the  Coras  and  the  Huichols,  the  latter  playing 
it  with  two  arrows.     The  assertion  has  been  made  that 


476  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

the  musical  l)o\v  is  not  indi^rnous  to  tlic  Western 
Hemisj)here,  l)ut  was  introduced  hv  .African  slaves. 
Without  placing  undue  importance  on  the  fact  that 
negroes  are  very  rarely,  if  at  all,  found  in  the  north- 
western part  of  Mexico,  it  seems  entirelv  bevond  the 
range  of  possibility  that  a  foreign  implement  could  have 
become  of  such  paramount  importance  in  the  religious 
system  of  several  tribes.  Moreover,  this  opinion  is  con- 
firmed by  Mr.  R.  B.  Dixon's  discovery,  in  1900,  of  a 
musical  bow  among  the  Maidu  Indians  on  the  western 
slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  northeast  of  San  Francisco, 
California.  In  the  religion  of  that  tribe  also  this  bow 
plays  an  important  part,  and  much  secrecy  is  connected 
with  it. 

The  shaman's  song  sounded  very  different  from  the 
sono;-s  I  had  heard  amono;  the  Tarahumares.  As  his  seat 
was  high,  he  had  to  maintain  a  stooping  position  all  the 
time  he  played. 

The  dancers,  men  and  women,  made  much  noise  by 
stamping  their  flat  soles  vigorously  on  the  ground,  as 
they  moved  in  dcjuble  column  around  the  fire  and  the 
shaman,  in  a  kind  of  two-step-walk  forw^ard.  They 
danced  in  a  direction  against  the  ap})arent  movement  of 
the  sun,  the  men  leading,  the  women  following.  I  no- 
ticed that  the  step  of  the  women  was  slightly  different 
from  that  of  the  men,  inasmuch  as  they  lifted  themseh^es 
on  their  toes  at  each  step.  At  times  the  columns  would 
suddenly  stop  and  tnake  the  same  kind  of  movements 
backward  for  a  little  while,  with  the  same  small  jumps 
or  skii)s  as  when  walking  forward.  .Vfter  a  few  seconds 
they  would  again  go  forward.  These  movements  are 
directed  bv  the  leader,  the  man  who  dances  first. 

l)Olh  men  and  wouilmi  wore  flowers,  the  former  fas- 
tening them  to  tiieir  straw  hats,  the  latter  in  their  hair 
with   the   stem   behind   the  ear.       The   flowers  were   ap- 


AN    INDIAN    DANCE 


477 


parently  selected  accurdin<^  to  individual  taste,  but  tlie 
kind  I  saw  most  frequently  was  a  white  blossom  called 
corpus,  the  delicious  fragrance  of  which  I  noticed  every 
time  the  women  danced  by.  Two 
boys  had  a  peculiar  kind  of  white 
flower  fastened  with  a  handkerchief 
tied  around  their  heads.  It  is  called 
claviliiftos,  and  looks  like  thick,  white 
hair.  The  shaman  wore  a  narrow 
hair-ribbon,  but  no  flower.  Around 
their  ankles  the  men  had  wound 
strings  of  dried  empty  pods  of  a 
certain  palm,  which  made  a  rattling 
noise  during  the  dancing.  Five  times 
during  the  night,  ears  of  corn  and 
plumes  were  brought  from  the  altar, 
and  then  the  men  always  removed 
their  hats.  The  women  wore  veils 
{rcbosos),  but  it  is  considered  improper 
for  them  to  use  sandals  on  such  oc- 
casions ;  these  are  worn  only  by  the 
men. 

There  were   five  pauses   made  in 
the  course  of  the  night,  and,  to  pre- 
pare the  people  for  them,  the  shaman 
each  time  began  to  strike  more  slow- 
ly.    The  dancers  continued  until  they 
arrived   in   front   of  the   altar,  where  from  Empty  Pods  of  a 
they    commenced    to   jump    up    and     ^™" 
down  on  the  same  spot,   but  with    increasing   rapidity, 
until   the  music  stopped,  when  they  separated  and  lay 
down. 

Those  who  did  not  take  any  part  in  the  dancing 
were  lying  around  the  various  fires,  the  number  of  the 
dancers  changing  with  the  different  songs,  according  to 


Rattle  for  Ankle,  made 


478  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

the  degree  of  enthusiasm  among  the  people.  Many 
went  to  sleep  for  a  while,  but  this  is  not  deemed  very 
polite  to  the  owner  of  the  ranch,  as  the  effect  of  the 
dancing  is  much  greater  upon  the  gods  when  everybody 
takes  part.  I  was  told  that  to  keep  the  ])eople  awake  a 
man  sometimes  goes  around  spurting  cokl  water  over  the 
drowsy  and  nodding  heads. 

The  function  had  been  opened  by  the  owner  of  the 
ranch  making  alone  five  circuits  around  the  fire,  carry-' 
ing  the  musical  instrument  and  the  two  playing-sticks 
and  doing  reverence  to  the  sun  every  time  he  passed  the 
altar.  Just  before  sunrise  the  mitote  concluded  with 
the  dramatisation  of  the  killing  of  the  deer.  Deer-skins 
were  brought  from  the  bower  of  the  altar,  and  the  men 
put  on  their  bows  and  quivers,  each  of  which  contained 
twenty-five  arrows  and  had  two  slings  attached  to  it. 
The  men  held  the  deer-skins  in  their  hands  and  danced 
five  circuits.  Two  light-footed  boys  next  appeared  on 
the  scene  to  play  the  part  of  the  deer.  They  had  deer- 
skins on  their  backs,  and  in  their  hands  held  deer-heads 
with  antlers.  These  they  showed  five  times,  alternatelv 
to  the  shaman  who  furnished  the  music,  and  to  the  altar. 
Then  they  began  to  run,  followed  by  the  dancers,  who 
shouted  and  shot  arrows,  also  trying  to  catch  the  deer 
by  throwing  lassos  that  had  been  kept  in  the  bower. 
Often  they  had  to  flee  from  the  deer,  who  chased  them 
off  the  dancing-place.  But  they  returned,  and  at  sunrise 
the  deer  were  captured  on  a  matting  spread  before  the 
altar,  where  the  dancers  now  took  positions.  Starting 
from  here  they  next  made  five  circuits  around  the 
dancing-place  in  the  direction  of  the  apparent  move- 
ment of  the  sun,  then  five  circuits  in  the  opposite  way. 
The  shaman's  beating  slowed  down,  once  more  all  the 
dancers  jum})ed  up  quickly,  the  music  stopped,  and  the 
dancing  was  finished. 


THE    IKAST    AND    AFTKll  479 

Now  the  feast iny-  l)eoan.  The  food,  that  had  been 
placed  on  tlie  altar,  pinole  and  toasted  corn,  was 
brought  forward,  and  the  host  and  his  wife  ate  first. 
After  they  had  thus  broken  fast,  all  sat  down,  and  to 
each  one  the  following  dishes  were  served  on  little 
earthenware  platters  or  bowls  :  A  small  slice  of  deer- 
meat  that  had  been  cooked  between  hot  stones  in  an 
earth  mound,  and  a  handful  of  toasted  corn  ;  a  ball  made 
of  pinole  mixed  with  unbroken  beans;  four  tamales,  and 
one  ball  of  deer-meat  and  ground  corn  boiled  together. 
The  last-named  course  is  simply  called  chueena  (deer). 
The  boys  who  served  it  had  on  their  backs  three  bun- 
dles, each  containing  three  tamales,  which  the  boys  after- 
ward ate. 

The  host  always  asks  his  guests  to  submit  for  four 
days  longer  to  the  restrictions  that  are  necessary  to  insure 
the  efficiency  of  the  dancing.  These  refer  mainly  to 
abstinence  from  mescal  and  women,  and  are  conscien- 
tiously observed  for  five  days  before  and  five  days  after 
the  occasion,  by  the  family  who  arranges  the  dance.  The 
shaman,  on  whom  the  obligation  to  observe  these  for- 
malities is  greater  than  on  anyone  else,  may  have  to  offi- 
ciate at  another  mitote  before  the  time  limit  for  the 
first  has  expired,  therefore  much  of  his  time  is  spent  in 
privations. 

After  the  feast,  the  tapexte,  that  is  to  say,  the  mat- 
ting, which  constituted  the  top  of  the  altar,  is  hung  up 
in  a  tree  to  be  used  again  the  next  year.  The  trees  that 
have  formed  the  bower  near  the  altar  are  left  undis- 
turbed. The  ceremonial  objects  are  placed  in  the  trees 
for  four  or  five  days,  and  then  put  into  a  basket  which 
is  hung  in  some  cave.  At  Pueblo  Viejo  no  more  tribal 
mitotes  are  given,  and  it  seems  that  no  family  anywhere 
makes  more  than  one  a  year. 

When  a    newly  married    couple  wish  to  give  their 


480  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

first  mitote,  they  go  away  from  the  house  for  a  month. 
Both  of  them  bathe  and  wash  their  clothes,  and  impose 
restrictions  upon  themselves,  sleeping  most  of  the  time. 
When  awake  they  talk  little  to  each  other,  and  think 
constantly  of  the  gods.  Only  the  most  necessary  work 
is  done  ;  he  brings  wood  and  she  prepares  the  food, 
consisting  of  tortillas,  which  must  not  be  toasted  so 
long  that  they  lose  their  white  colour.  A  thin  white 
gruel,  called  atole,  made  from  ground  corn,  is  also  eaten, 
but  no  deer-meat,  nor  fish  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
kind  called  mitshe.  Neither  salt  nor  beans  are  allowed. 
The  blankets  they  wear  must  also  be  white.  During  all 
this  time  they  must  not  cut  flowers  or  bathe  or  smoke  ; 
they  must  not  get  angry  at  each  other,  and  at  night 
they  must  sleep  on  different  sides  of  the  fire. 

Fasting  and  abstinence  form  an  integral  part  of  the 
religion  of  these  people.  A  man  who  desires  to  be- 
come a  shaman  must  keep  strictly  to  a  diet  of  white 
tortillas  and  atole  for  five  years.  His  drink  is  water, 
and  that  only  once  a  day,  in  the  afternoon.  The  people 
here  once  fasted  for  two  months,  in  order  to  aid  Gen- 
eral Porfirio  Diaz  to  become  President  of  Mexico  ;  and 
they  told  me  that  they  were  soon  going  to  subject  them- 
selves to  similar  privations  in  order  to  help  another  offi- 
cial whom  they  wanted  to  remain  in  his  j)()sition. 

Fasting  also  plays  an  important  part  in  the  curing 
of  diseases.  The  patient,  with  his  doctor,  may  go  out 
and  live  in  the  woods  and  fast  for  many  days,  the  sha- 
man smoking  tobacco  all  the  time.  i\n  omen  as  to 
whether  tiie  jxiticnt  will  live  or  die  is  taken  from  the 
colour  of  the  tobacco  smoke.  If  it  is  yellow  the  omen 
is  bad.  Or  if  the  smoke  remains  dense  the  i)atient  will 
live  ;  but  if  it  disperses  he  will  die. 

A  very  interesting  ceremony  is  performed  over  a 
child    when    it    is  one   vear   old.      The   j)arents  go  with 


AN    INTERESTING   CEREMONY  481 

the  shaman  into  the  field  and  fast  for  five  days  before 
the  anniversary  and  for  five  days  afterward.  An  hour  or 
two  after  sunset  a  bio;  fire  is  made  and  four  arrows  and 
the  ceremonial  object  called  o;od's  eye  are  placed  east  of 
it.  The  parents  and  those  present  look  east  all  the  time. 
The  shaman  first  makes  four  ceremonial  circuits,  then 
puffs  tobacco-smoke  on  the  god's  eye  and  on  the  child. 
He  sings  incantations  and  again  makes  four  ceremo- 
nial circuits,  and  smokes  as  before.  Next  he  places  his 
mouth  to  the  child's  forehead,  and  draws  out  something 
that  is  called  the  cochiste,  the  sleep  or  dreams,  spitting 
it  out  in  his  hand.  He  makes  a  motion  with  his  plumes 
as  if  he  lifted  something  up  with  them  from  his  hand, 
and  holds  the  plumes  over  the  god's  eye  for  a  while. 
The  people  now  see  that  two  small,  white  balls  are  at- 
tached to  the  plumes,  and  he  shows  them  to  all  present, 
to  prove  that  he  does  not  deceive  them.  Then  he 
crushes  the  balls  in  his  left  hand  v/ith  a  sound  as  if  an 
egg  was  cracked,  and  throws  them  away.  In  the  morn- 
ing salt  is  offered  to  the  fasters. 

The  cochiste  is  taken  away  from  boys  twice  and 
four  times  from  girls.  A  boy  cannot  get  married  until 
the  cochiste  is  taken  away.  A  girl  at  the  age  of  pu- 
berty is  pledged  to  a  year  of  chastity,  and  the  same  cere- 
mony is  performed  on  her  as  in  babyhood,  to  be  re- 
peated in  the  following  year.  Should  she  transgress  dur- 
ing that  time  the  belief  is  that  she  or  her  parents  or  her 
lover  will  die.  The  principle  of  monogamy  is  strictly 
enforced,  and  if  a  woman  deviates  from  it  she  has  to  be 
cured  by  the  shaman,  or  an  accident  will  befall  her — a 
jaguar  or  a  snake  will  bite  her,  or  lightning  strike  her,  or  a 
scorpion  sting  her,  etc. 

She  gives  the  shaman  a  wad  of  white  cotton,  which 
he  places  on  the  god's  eve.  When  he  smokes  tobacco 
and  talks  to  the  god's  eye,  information  is  given  to  him 

Vol..   I.— 31. 


482  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

thioLifrh  the  cotton,  which  reveals  to  him  whether  she 
has  more  than  one  husband,  and  even  the  name  of  the 
unlawful  one.  He  admonishes  her  to  confess,  ex- 
plaining; to  her  how  much  better  the  result  will  be,  as 
he  then  can  cure  her  with  much  greater  strength. 
Even  if  she  confesses,  she  is  only  half  through  with  her 
trouble,  because  the  shaman  exacts  heavy  payment  for 
the  cure,  from  $10  to  $20.  If  she  cannot  pay  now,  she 
has  to  come  back  in  a  month,  and  continue  coming 
until  she  can  settle  her  account.  By  rights,  the  man 
should  pay  for  her,  but  often  he  runs  away  and  leaves 
her  in  the  lurch.  Since  the  Indians  have  come  in  con- 
tact with  the  Mexicans  this  happens  quite  often. 
When  at  length  the  money  is  paid  and  she  has  con- 
fessed everything,  there  is  nothing  more  for  the  shaman 
to  do  but  to  give  an  account  of  it  to  the  god's  eye,  and 
she  goes  to  her  home  absolved.  One  year  afterward 
she  has  to  come  back  and  report,  and,  should  she  in  the 
meantime  have  made  another  slip,  she  has  to  pay  more. 
From  all  the  cotton  wads  the  shaman  gets  he  may  have 
girdles  and  hair-ribbons  made,  which  he  eventually  sells. 

The  custom  related  above  is  of  interest  as  showing 
the  forces  employed  by  ancient  society  to  maintain  the 
family  intact.  Fear  of  accidents,  illness  or  death,  more 
even  than  the  fine  or  anything  else,  keeps  the  people 
from  yielding  too  freely  to  the  impulses  of  their  senses. 

The  treatment  accorded  to  the  dead  by  these  peo- 
ple, and  their  notions  regarding  them,  are,  in  the  main, 
the  same  as  those  obtaining  with  the  tribes  which  I 
visited  before  them,  but  there  are  some  new  features 
that  are  of  interest.  1  k  re,  for  instance,  near  the  head 
of  the  dead,  who  lies  stretched  out  on  the  ground 
in  the  house,  the  shaman  places  a  god's  eye  and  three 
arrows;  and  at  his  feet  another  arrow.  He  sings  an  in- 
cantation and   smokes  tobacco,  though  not  on  the  dead, 


THE   DESPATCH    OF    THE   DEAD       483 

while  the  widow  makes  yarn  from  some  cotton,  which 
she  has  first  handed  to  the  shaman.  When  she  has 
finished  the  yarn,  she  gives  it  to  the  shaman,  who 
tears  it  into  two  pieces  of  equal  length,  which  he  ties 
to  the  arrow  standing  at  the  right-hand  side  of  the  man. 
One  piece  he  rubs  over  with  charcoal ;  this  is  for  the 
dead,  and  is  tied  lower  down  on  the  arrow.  He  winds 
it  in  a  ball,  except  the  length  which  reaches  from 
the  arrow  to  the  middle  of  the  body,  where  the  ball  is 
placed  under  the  dead  man's  clothes.  The  other  thread 
the  shaman  holds  in  his  left  hand,  together  with  his 
pipe  and  plumes.  After  due  incantations  he  divides  the 
white  thread  into  pieces  of  equal  length,  as  many  as 
there  are  members  of  the  family,  and  gives  one  piece  to 
each.  They  tie  them  around  their  necks  and  wear  them 
for  one  year.  Afterward  they  are  mixed  with  some 
other  material  and  from  them  a  ribbon  or  girdle  is 
made. 

On  the  fifth  day  the  dead  is  despatched  from  this 
world.  In  the  small  hours  of  the  morning  the  shaman, 
with  his  plumes  and  pipe,  and  a  jar  of  water  into  which 
some  medicinal  herbs  have  been  thrown,  leads  the  pro- 
cession toward  the  west,  while  the  people,  including 
women  and  children,  carry  branches  of  the  zapote-tree. 
They  stop,  while  it  is  still  dark,  and  the  shaman  steps 
forward  and  despatches  the  deceased.  He  returns  very 
soon,  and  sprinkles  water  on  the  people  and  toward  the 
west,  where  the  dead  has  gone. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

INEXPERIENCED    HELP HOW    TO    ACQUIRE  RICHES  FROM   THE    MOUN- 
TAINS— SIERRA    DEE    NAYARIT THE     CORAS-^THEIR     AVERSION 

TO       "  PAPERS  "  THEIR      PART      IN      MEXICAN      POLITICS  A 

DEJEUNER    A    LA    FOURCHETTE — LA    DANZA. 

IT  is  practically  impossible  to  travel  from  tribe  to 
tribe  in  Mexico  without  changino-  muleteers,  not 
only  because  the  men  generally  object  to  going  so  far 
from  their  homes,  but  also  because  it  is  not  advan- 
tageous to  employ  men  who  do  not  know  the  countrv 
through  which  thev  are  passing.  Whenever  the  Indians 
understood  something  about  packing  mules,  I  })referred 
them  to  the  Mexicans,  because  I  could  learn  much  from 
them  on  the  way.  The  latter  part  of  my  travels  I 
employed  none  but  Indians. 

The  unwillingness  of  desirable  men  to  leave  their 
homes  makes  a  frequent  change  very  embarrassing.  My 
next  destination  from  Pueblo  Viejo  was  Santa  Teresa, 
the  most  northern  of  the  Cora  pueblos,  and  everybody 
thought  it  was  too  far  away.  I  had  linallv  to  take 
whatever  I  could  get  in  the  way  of  carriers.  Vor 
instance,  I  had  only  one  man  on  whom  I  could  de- 
pend, a  civilised  Tepehuane,  who  was  bright  and  knew 
his  business  well,  but  he  was  hampered  bv  an  in- 
jured aim.  Then  I  obtained  another  man,  somewhat 
elderlv.  lie,  too,  became  suddenly  aware  that  his  right 
arm  was  crooked  and  not  strong  enough  to  lift  heavv 
burdens,  while  the  two  remaining  carriers  had  never 
loaded   a   mule   in   their   lives.      The   first    two   directed 

484 


RICHES    OF    THE    CORAS  485 

the  otluT  pair  how  to  j)roccc(l,  and  thus  1  was  treated  to 
the  UidieroLis  speetaele  of  four  men  en^aoed  in  paekinjLj^ 
one  mule.  Naturally  it  took  all  day  to  load  my  ten 
animals,  and  when  this  was  aeeomplished,  it  was  too  late 
to  start,  so  that  the  day's  work  turned  out  to  be  nothing 
but  a  dress-rehearsal  in  the  noble  art  of  paekino;  mules. 
The  result  was  that  I  had  to  take  a  hand  mvself  in 
putting  the  aparejos  on  the  animals,  shoeing  them  and 
euring  the  sore  baeks,  whieh,  as  a  matter  of  eourse, 
developed  from  the  inexperience  of  some  of  the  men. 

On  the  second  day,  by  a  stUj:)endous  effort,  we 
started,  but  could  go  only  eight  miles  to  a  beautiful 
llano  surrounded  by  oaks  and  pines.  A  few  ranches 
are  all  that  remains  of  the  village  that  once  existed 
here.  On  one  of  them  lived  a  rich  Cora  who  had 
married  a  Tepchuane  woman.  All  Coras  get  rich,  the 
Indians  here  assert,  because  they  know  better  how  to 
appease  the  gods.  They  submit  to  fasting  and  restric- 
tions for  a  month,  or  even  a  year,  and  then  go  "to 
the  richest  mountain  the  ancient  people  knew."  The 
master  of  the  mountain  comes  out  and  the  two  make 
a  bai"gain,  the  Cora  agreeing  to  pay  for  the  cattle, 
deer,  corn,  and  other  possessions,  with  men  that  he  kills. 
The  belief  that  the  mountains  are  the  masters  of  all 
riches — of  money,  cattle,  mules,  sheep,  and  shepherds — is 
common  among  the  tribes  of  the  Sierra  Madre. 

When  it  devolves  upon  a  Cora  to  make  good  his 
agreement  and  kill  a  man,  he  makes  from  burnt  clav, 
strips  of  cloth,  etc.,  a  small  figure  of  the  victim  and 
then  with  incantations  puts  thorns  through  the  head  or 
stomach,  to  make  the  original  suffer.  He  may  even 
represent  the  victim  on  horseback,  and  place  the  figure 
upside  down  to  give  him  ])ain.  Sometimes  a  Cora 
makes  a  figure  of  the  animal  he  wants,  forming  it  of 
wax  or  burned  clay,  or  carving  it  from  tuff,  and  deposits 


486  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

it  in  a  cave  in  the  mountain.  For  every  cow,  deer, 
dog',  or  hen  wanted,  he  has  to  sacrifice  a  corresponding 
figure. 

The  next  day  we  followed  for  some  time  the  ca- 
mino  real,  which  leads  from  Acaponcta  to  the  towns  of 
Mczquital  and  Durango.  We  then  descended  without 
difficulty  some  3,000  feet  into  the  caiion  of  Civacora, 
through  which  flows  a  river  of  the  same  name,  said  to 
originate  in  the  State  of  Zacatecas.  It  passes  near  the 
cities  of  Durango  and  Sombrerete,  this  side  of  Cerro 
Gordo.  In  this  valley,  which  runs  in  a  northerly  and 
southerly  direction,  wc  found  some  Tepehuanes  from  the 
pueblo  of  San  Francisco. 

The  Indians  here  were  defiant  and  disagreeable,  and 
would  not  even  give  us  any  information  about  the  track 
we  were  to  follow.  They  had  the  reputation  of  stealing 
mules  and  killing  travellers  for  the  sake  of  the  corn  the 
latter  are  likely  to  carry.  I  therefore  put  two  men  on 
guard  and  allowed  them  to  fire  off  a  rifle  shot  as  a  warn- 
ing, something  they  always  like  to  do.  The  sound  re- 
verberated through  the  still  night  with  cnougii  force  to 
frighten  a  whole  army  of  robbers.  The  next  morning 
I  sent  for  the  most  important  Tepehuane,  told  him  the 
object  of  my  visit,  and  asked  him  about  the  track.  He 
gave  me  what  information  he  could,  but  he  was  unable 
to  procure  a  guide  for  a  longer  time  than  that  chiy. 
We  were  then  left  to  ourselves,  with  the  odds  against 
us.  Twice  we  lost  our  way,  the  first  time  i)assing  a  mi- 
tote  dancing-place,  and  coming  to  a  iialt  before  a  steep 
mountain  wall,  passable  only  for  agile  Indians.  The 
second  time  we  landed  at  the  edge  of  a  deep  barranca, 
and  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  turn  back  to  a 
ranch  we  had  passed  some  time  before.  Luckily  we 
met  there  a  Tepehuane  and  iiis  wife,  who  assured  us 
that  we  were  at  last  on  the  right  track.      However,  we 


ON    THE    HIGHLANDS    AGAIN  487 

did  not  advance  farther  than  the  conlluence  of  two 
arroyos,  which  the  man  had  pointed  out  to  us  deep 
down  in  tiie  shrubbery.  Before  leaving  us  he  promised 
to  be  at  our  camp  in  the  morninor  ^q  show  us  the  road 
to  Las  Botijas,  a  small  aggregation  of  ranches  at  the 
summit.  In  a  straight  line  we  had  not  gone  that  day 
more  than  three  miles. 

When  passing  one  of  our  guide's  ranches — and  he 
had  three  within  sight — I  noticed  near  the  track  a 
small  jacal  about  100  yards  off.  The  man  told  me 
that  he  was  a  shaman  and  that  here  he  kept  his  musical 
outfit,  ceremonial  arrows,  etc.  ;  though  he  appeared  to 
be  an  open-hearted  young  man,  I  could  not  induce  him 
to  show  me  this  private  chapel  of  his,  and  we  had 
to  go  on.  He  parted  from  us  on  the  summit,  but  de- 
scribed the  road  so  well  that  we  encountered  no  diffi- 
culty during  the  remaining  two  days  of  our  journey. 

1  was  glad  to  be  once  more  up  on  the  highlands,  the 
more  so  that  we  succeeded  in  finding  there  arroyos 
with  water  and  grass.  On  reaching  the  top  of  the  cor- 
don we  had  been  following,  we  came  upon  a  camino 
real  running  between  the  villages  of  San  Francisco  and 
Santa  Teresa,  and  now  we  were  in  the  Sierra  del  Naya- 
rit.  I  was  rather  surprised  to  find  another  barranca 
close  by,  parallel  with  the  one  we  had  just  left.  As  far 
as  I  could  make  out,  this  new  gorge  begins  near  the 
pueblo  of  Santa  Maria  Ocotan,  high  up  in  the  Sierra ; 
at  least  my  old  Mexican  informed  me  that  the  river 
which  waters  it  rises  at  that  place  and  passes  the  Cora 
pueblos  of  Guasamota  and  Jesus  Maria.  We  travelled 
along  the  western  edge  of  this  barranca,  within  which 
there  are  some  Aztec,  but  mainly  Cora  villages.  There 
is  still  another  barranca  to  the  east  of  and  parallel  to 
this,  and  in  this  the  Huichols  live. 

What  is  called  Sierra  del  Nayarit  is  in  the  beginning 


488  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

a  rallicr  level  and  oflen  narrow  cordon,  and  the  track 
south  Uads  near  the  edge  of  the  Barranca  de  Jesus  Maria 
for  ten  or  twelve  miles.  Along  this  ridge  hardly  any 
other  kintl  of  tree  is  to  he  seen  than  Pinus  L2imJioltzii. 
A  variety  of  })ine  which  resembles  this  very  much,  but 
is  mucii  larger,  and  wliich  1  tiiink  may  also  be  a  new 
species,  was  observed  after  leaving  Pueblo  Nuevo. 

The  cordon  gradually  widens,  and  open,  grass-cov- 
ered places  appear  among  the  pines,  which  now  arc  of 
the  usual  kinds,  and  throughout  the  Sierra  del  Nayarit 
are  high,  but  never  large.  A  few  Coras  passed  us  lead- 
ing mules  loaded  with  panoche,  to  be  exchanged  in 
Santa  Maria  Ocotan  for  mescal. 

The  most  conspicuous  things  in  the  Cora's  travelling 
outfit  are  his  ritle  and  one  or  two  home-made  pouches 
which  he  slings  over  his  shoulder.  There  is  an  air  of 
manliness  and  independence  about  these  Indians,  and 
this  first  impression  is  confirmed  by  the  entire  history  of 
the  tribe. 

We  passed  a  few  ranches  on  the  road,  and  at  last 
reached  the  little  llano  on  which  Santa  Teresa  is  situated. 
It  is  always  disagreeable  to  approach  a  strange  Indian 
pueblo,  where  you  have  to  make  your  camp,  knowing 
how  little  the  j)eople  like  to  see  you,  and  here  I  was 
among  a  tribe  who  had  never  heard  of  me,  and  who 
looked  upon  me  with  much  suspicion  as  I  made  my 
entry. 

There  were  many  peoj^le  in  town  jirei)aring  for  the 
Easter  festival,  practising  their  i)arts  in  certain  entertain- 
ments in  vogue  at  that  season.  At  last  I  met  a  man 
willing  to  show  me  where  I  could  find  water.  He  led 
me  outside  of  the  village  to  some  deep  and  narrow  clefts 
in  the  led  earth,  fnjm  which  a  rivulet  was  issuing:  I 
selected  my  camj)ing-i)lace  near  by,  at  the  foot  of  some 
low  pine-covered  hills,  and  then  returned  to  the  pueblo. 


A    SUSPICIOUS    ALCALDE 


489 


"  Aiiii^o  !  "  shouted  a  man  as  he  came  runniiiLi-  toward 
me  from  his  house.  It  was  the  alcalde,  a  tall,  slender 
liuliau  with  a  slight  heard  and  a  very  sympathetic  voice. 
1  told  him  that  we  were  entirely  out  of  corn,  to  which 
he  replied  that  we  could  not  get  any  in  the  pueblo,  onl\' 
on  tlu'  ranches  in  the  neighbourhood.  I  asked  him  if 
he  wanted  us  to  die  from  starvation,  and  then  another 


Cora  Men  and  Women  from  Santa  Teresa. 


man  offered  me  half  a  fanega.  I  inquired  of  the  judge 
whether  he  did  not  want  to  see  my  papers.  "  We  do  not 
understand  papers,"  he  replied.  Still  it  was  agreed  that 
the  Indians  should  meet  me  next  morning,  and  that  my 
chief  man,  the  Tepehuane,  should  read  my  letters  from 
the  Government,  because  the  preceptor  of  the  village 
was  away  in  the  city  of  Tepic,  and  no  one  else  was  able 
to  read. 

Santa  Teresa  is  called  in  Cora  Ouemalusi,  after  the 


490  UiNKNOWN    MEXICO 

j)rinciixil  one  of  ihe  five  m)-thical  men  who  in  aneient 
times  lived  in  the  Sierra  del  Nayarit.  Reports  sav  an 
idol  now  hidden  was  once  found  here.  A  few  miles  east 
of  Santa  Teresa  is  a  deep  volcanic  lake,  the  only  rem- 
nant of  the  large  flood,  the  Coras  say.  It  is  called 
"  Mother,"  or  "  Brother,"  the  last  name  containing:  a 
reference  to  their  great  god,  the  Morning  Star,  Chula- 
v^te.  There  are  no  fish  in  it,  but  turtles  and  ducks. 
The  water  is  believed  to  cure  the  sick  and  strengthen 
the  well,  and  there  is  no  ceremony  in  the  Cora  religion 
for  which  this  water  is  not  required.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  use  it  pure  ;  it  is  generally  mixed  with  ordinary 
spring  water,  and  in  this  way  sprinkled  over  the 
people  with  a  red  orchid,  or  a  deer-tail  stretched  over 
a  stick. 

Early  next  morning  a  good-looking  young  Indian 
on  horseback  rode  up  to  the  tent  to  pay  me  a  visit. 
He  spoke  Spanish  very  well.  I  treated  him  with  con- 
sideration and  proffered  him  some  biscuits  I  happened 
to  have.  In  the  course  of  the  conversation  he  offered 
to  sell  me  a  fowl,  if  I  would  send  a  man  to  his  ranch 
for  it,  which  of  course  I  was  orlad  to  do. 

As  he  was  taking  leave,  I  expressed  mv  admiration 
for  the  handsome  native-made  halter  on  his  horse.  "  Do 
you  like  it?"  he  asked,  and  he  immediately  removed  it 
from  the  horse  and  presented  it  to  me,  I  wanted  to 
pay  for  it,  but  he  said,  "  We  are  friends  now,"  and  rode 
off.  The  fowl  he  sent  was  the  biggest  he  had  in  his 
yard,  an  old  rooster,  very  strong  and  tough.  Could 
there  be  food  less  palatable  than  a  lean  old  rooster  of 
Indian  breeding?  The  broth  is  worse  than  that  made 
from  a  billv-goat. 

I  went  to  the  meeting,  and  all  listened  silently  while 
mv  letters  from  the  Government  were  read.  Anything 
coming    from   Mexico    impresses    these  ])eople    deeply. 


CORA    CHARACTERISTICS  491 

Yet  with  the  suspicion  innate  in  their  nature,  the  Indians 
could  not  hear  the  documents  read  over  often  enough. 
We  had  nieetinij  after  meetin"',  as  the  arrival  in  the 
pueblo  of  every  man  of  any  importance  was  a  signal 
that  my  papers  would  have  to  be  read  over  again. 

The  alcalde  introduced  me  to  the  teacher's  wife,  a 
Mexican,  who  apparently  took  her  lot  very  contentedly 
among  "these  people  whom  no  one  ever  knows,"  as  she 
expressed  it.  She  liked  the  climate,  and  the  security 
of  life  and  property.  Her  husband  had  been  working 
here  for  four  years.  The  children,  of  course,  have  first 
to  learn  Spanish,  and  there  is  no  school  from  June  till 
September.  The  youngsters  seemed  bright  and  well- 
behaved,  but  the  Coras  told  me  that  they  had  not  yet 
learned  to  read. 

Most  of  the  Cora  Indians  are  slightly  bearded,  espe- 
cially on  the  chin.  In  this  respect,  however,  there  was 
no  uniformity,  some  being  absolutely  beardless,  while 
others  looked  rather  Mexican.  They  all  insisted,  never- 
theless, that  there  is  among  them  no  intermixture  with 
Mexicans,  or,  for  that  matter,  with  the  Tepehuanes,  and 
the  Cora  women  have  very  strong  objections  to  unions 
with  "neighbours."  On  the  other  hand,  it  should  be 
remembered  that  during  the  latter  half  of  the  last 
century  the  tribe  was  subjected  to  a  great  deal  of  dis- 
turbance, incidental  to  the  revolution  of  Manuel  Lozada, 
a  civilised  Aztec  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Tepic, 
who,  about  the  time  of  the  French  intervention,  estab- 
lished an  independent  State  comprising  the  present  ter- 
ritory of  Tepic  and  the  Cora  country.  He  had  great 
military  talent,  and  it  was  said  that  whenever  he  liked  he 
could  gather  thousands  of  soldiers  without  cost.  He 
was  able  to  maintain  his  government  for  a  number  of 
years,  thanks  chiefly  to  the  Coras,  who  were  his  prin- 
cipal supporters.     At  one  time  they  had  to  leave  their 


+9^ 


rXKNOWN    MEXICO 


countrv,  and  to  live  for  five  years  in  an  inaccessible  i)art 
of  the  Sierra  Madre  above  San  Huena. 

Among-  themselves,  the  Coras  use  their  own  lan- 
guage, but  all  the  men  and  most  of  the  women  speak 
and  understand  Spanish  to  some  extent.  Though  the 
people  now  dress  like  the  "neighbours,"  they  are  still 

thoroughly  Indian,  and  jiroud  of  it. 
There  are  about  2,500  ])ure-bred 
among  them.  They  call  them- 
selves Nayariti  or  Nayari,  and  in 
speech,  religion,  and  customs  they 
are  akin  to  the  Huichol  Indians, 
who,  however,  do  not  care  very 
much  for  their  relatives,  whom  they 
call  Hashi  (crocodiles).  Vet  some 
intercourse  is  maintained  between 
the  two  tribes,  the  Coras  bringing 
to  the  Huichols  red  face-paint, 
wax,  and  the  tail-feathers  of  the 
Cora    Pouch,    of  Unusual    blucjay,  whilc  the  scrviccs  of  the 

Shape,    made     ot     Wool.      Huichol  Curing  shamans  are  high- 
Patterns  represent    Flving  •  i   i         i       /--i  \ 

Birds  and  a  row  of  Deer,    h'  appreciated  by  the  Coras.      An 
Length  about  25  ctm.  interesting    home   industry  is  the 

weaving  of  bags  or  pouches  of  cotton  and  wool,  in  many 
beautiful  designs. 

The  Coras  are  not  good  runners  ;  they  have  neither 
speed  nor  endurance,  and  they  run  heavily.  It  is  as- 
tonishing how  small  the  bones  of  their  limbs  are,  espe- 
cially among  the  females,  though  this,  by  the  wav,  is  the 
case  with  all  the  Indians  I  have  visited.  A  Cora  woman 
made  for  me  a  shirt  as  an  ethnological  specimen,  which 
I  thought  she  must  have  made  too  small  at  the  wrist- 
bands, as  they  measured  about  4^  inches  (barely  twelve 
centimetres)  ;  but  she  showed  me  how  well  thev  lilted 
her.      Still    they   alwa\s    have   well-developed    hips   and 


EASIER    FESTI\'ALS  493 

better  fissures  than  the  Mexiean  women.  The  teeth  of 
the  Coras  are  not  always  perfect ;  I  have  seen  several 
indivitluals  whose  front  teeth  were  missin_o;. 

Strange  to  say,  in  spite  of  the  iiigh  elevation,  there 
is  fe\'er  and  ague  here  ;  the  alcalde  told  nie  that  he  had 
an  attack  every  second  day. 

As  Easter  was  at  hand,  there  was  (|uite  a  concourse 
of  people,  nearly  300  Indians  assembling.  Oxen  were 
killed,  and  general  eating  and  feasting  went  on.  I 
attended  the  communal  feast,  and  dishes  of  food  were 
brought  to  me.  In  accordance  with  the  Indian  cus- 
tom not  to  eat  much  on  the  spot,  I  had  my  men  carry 
some  of  the  food  to  the  camp,  as  a  welcome  addition 
to  our  monotonous  diet  and  scanty  stores ;  and  we 
found  that,  aside  from  the  usual  Indian  dishes,  they 
comprised  bananas,  salted  fish,  honev,  and  squashes. 

The  authorities  newlv  elected  for  the  ensuing  year 
gave  a  similar  entertainment  to  their  predecessors  in 
office.  At  the  home  of  the  "  Centurion,"  the  principal 
official  of  the  Easter  festival,  a  rustic  table  and  benches 
had  been  erected  outside  of  the  house.  I  was  invited  to 
sit  down  among  the  men  of  quality,  and  it  was  phenom- 
enal to  be  present  at  an  Indian  banquet  served  on  a  table, 
the  only  occasion  of  the  kind  in  my  experience.  As 
the  table  was  small,  the  diners  were  served  in  turns,  one 
set  after  another.  Each  guest  had  a  man  to  wait  on  him, 
but  there  was  neither  table-cloth  nor  knife,  fork  nor 
spoon.  It  was,  if  you  like,  a  dcjeiuier  a  la  foitrcJictte, 
except  that  you  were  supposed  to  handle  the  solid  food 
with  pieces  of  tortilla,  that  were  broken  off,  folded  over, 
and  used  as  a  fork,  or  rather,  spoon,  and  were  eaten  with 
the  meat.  After  the  meat  had  all  been  fished  out,  you 
drank  the  soup  from  your  bowl  or  plate.  If  you  eouUl 
not  manage  with  the  tortilla,  you  were  excused  for  using 
your  fingers.     When  a  bowl  or  plate  was  set  before  an 


494  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

Intlian  ouest,  the  latter  took  it  up  and  immediately 
handed  it  to  his  wife,  standing  behind  him,  who  em})tied 
it  into  the  jars  she  had  brought  for  that  purpose.  There 
was  meat  with  its  broth  ;  meat  ground  on  the  metate, 
boiled,  and  mixed  with  ehile  ;  and  atole  to  drink  with  it, 
all  fresh  and  excellent.  As  I  was  hungry,  I  pitched 
in,  although  at  first  I  was  the  only  one  who  ate,  which 
was  rather  embarrassing.  But  by  and  by  the  others, 
too,  began  to  eat,  perhaps  out  of  politeness.  They  were 
pleased,  however,  that  I  enjoyed  their  food,  and  I  did 
enjoy  it,  after  the  poorly  assorted  diet  we  had  been 
obliged  to  maintain.  Although  the  variety  of  dishes 
of  primitive  man  is  exceedingly  limited,  such  of  them 
as  they  have  are  well  prepared.  The  dinner  was  the 
best  I  ever  had  among  Indians.  The  party  was  pleasant 
and  animated,  and  the  banquet-hall  extended  to  the 
pines  and  mountains  around  and  the  azure  sky  above. 

During  the  night  there  was  dancing  on  the  tarima,  a 
broad  plank  resting  on  stumps.  Dancing  on  the  plank 
is  said  to  be  customary  throughout  the  Tierra  Caliente 
of  the  northwest.  One  man  and  one  woman  dance 
simultaneously,  facinor  thouG^h  not  touching  each  other. 
The  dancing  consists  in  a  rhythmical  jumping  up  and 
down  on  the  same  spot,  and  is  known  to  all  the  so- 
called  Christian  Indians  wherever  the  violin  is  j)layed, 
although  nowhere  but  among  the  Coras  have  I  seen 
it  executed  on  the  ])lank.  It  is  called  la  danza,  and 
is  distinct  from  the  aboriginal  sacred  dances,  although 
it  may  have  been  a  native  dance  somewhere  in  Mexico. 
La  daiiza  is  merely  a  ventilation  of  mcniment,  indulged 
in  when  the  In(Uaiis  are  in  higli  spiiits  aflei-  church 
feasts,  and  may  sometimes  be  executed  even  in  church. 

Cradually  the  j)eoi)lc  submitted  to  being  j)hoto- 
graj)hed,  even  the  women.  One  evening  when  I 
changed    plates    under    two    wagon-covers    in    an    old 


INDIAN   CURIOSITY  495 

empty  house,  a  curious  crowd  gathered  outside  and 
knocked  at  the  door,  wanting  to  know  what  was  going 
on  and  to  see  the  secret  rites  I  was  performing. 

After  a  few  days  of  dehberation  the  Indians  con- 
sented to  show  me  their  dancing-place,  or,  as  they 
expressed  it,  their  tunamoti  (the  musical  bow). 


CHAPTER    XX\TII 

A    GLIMPSE    OF    THE    PACIFIC    FROM    THE    HIGH    SIERRA  —  A    VISIONARY 

lUYL THE  CORAS   DO    NOT  KNOW  FEAR AN    UN-INDIAN   INDIAN 

PUEBLO     OF     JESUS     MARIA A     NICE     OLD     CORA     SHAMAN A 

PADRE    DENOUNCES    ME  AS    A    PROTESTANT    MISSIONARY — TROU- 
BLE   ENSUING    FROM    HIS    MISTAKE SCORPIONS. 

AFTER  a  fortnight's  stay  I  said  good-bye  to  Santa 
Teresa.  The  alcalde,  who  had  become  quite 
friendly,  accompanied  me  over  the  llano  on  which  his 
pueblo  lies,  extending,  interspersed  with  pine  forests, 
for  a!)out  three  miles  west.  He  begged  me  not  to  for- 
get the  Coras  when  I  came  to  the  Governor  of  the  Ter- 
ritory of  Tepic,  and  to  ask  the  Mexican  Government  to 
let  them  keep  their  old  customs,  which  he  had  heard 
they  were  going  to  prohibit.  This  fear,  I  think,  was 
unfounded.  He  also  wanted  me  to  use  my  influence 
toward  preventing  the  whites  from  settling  in  the  vicin- 
ity, since  they  were  eager  to  get  at  the  big  forests. 

I  had  found  a  friend  in  a  Cora  called  Nuberto.  a 
kind-hearted  and  frank  fellow,  sixty  years  old,  who  be- 
came our  guide.  The  trail  leads  along  the  western  side 
of  the  Sierra  Madre,  sometimes  only  a  few  yards  from 
where  the  mountains  suddenly  give  way  to  the  deep  and 
low-lying  valleys  and  foot-hills.  As  we  approached  the 
end  of  the  day's  journey,  a  perfectly  open  view  pre- 
sented itself  of  the  Ticrra  Caliente  below,  as  far  as  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  which  l)y  mules  is  a  week's  journey  dis- 
tanl.  The  wide  expanse  before  us  unfolded  a  ])anorama 
of  hills  that  sank  lower  and  lower  toward  the  west,  where 

496 


IMAGININGS  497 

the  salt  lagoons  of  the  coast  could  be  clearly  discerned 
as  sih^er  streaks  in  the  reddish-grey  mist  of  the  evening. 
Acaponeta  was  right  in  line  with  the  setting  sun. 
Here,  8,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  everything 
was  calm  and  mild;  not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring.  A 
priiniis  was  in  flower,  and  oak-trees  were  growing  on 
the  brink  of  the  ridge  toward  the  sea.  In  every  other 
direction  were  to  be  seen  the  immense  silent  pine  for- 
ests that  shelter  the  Coras,  but  no  trace  of  human 
life.  Evervthing  seemed  undisturbed,  peaceful,  quiet- 
ing, nerve-resting. 

Would  it  not  be  delightful  to  settle  down  here ! 
Life  would  be  so  easy  !  The  Indians  would  help  me  to 
make  a  hut.  I  would  marry  one  of  those  beautiful  Cora 
girls,  who  would  be  sure  to  have  a  cow  or  two  to  sup- 
ply me  the  civilised  drink  of  milk.  None  of  the  strife 
and  turmoil  of  the  outer  world  could  penetrate  into  my 
retreat.  One  day  would  pass  as  peacefully  as  its  prede- 
cessor ;  never  would  she  disturb  the  tranquillity  of  my 
life,  for  she  is  like  the  lagoon,  without  ever  a  ripple  on 
its  surface.  Once  in  a  while  the  spirit  of  the  feasts 
might  inspire  her  to  utter  an  angry  word,  but  she 
would  not  mean  much  by  it,  and  would  soon  resume 
her  usual  placid  role,  moving  along  in  the  even  tenor  of 
her  daily  life.  What  a  splendid  chance  for  studying 
the  people,  for  knowing  them  thoroughly,  and  for 
familiarising  myself  with  all  their  ancient  beliefs  and 
thoughts!  Perhaps  I  might  solve  some  of  the  mysteries 
that  shroud  the  workings  of  the  human  mind.  But — 
1  should  have  to  buy  my  fame  at  the  price  of  living  on 
tortillas  and  pinole  and  beans  ! 

"We  may  live  without  pf)etry,  music,  and  art ; 
We  may  live  without  conscience  and  live  without  heart ; 
We  may  live  without  friends,  we  may  live  without  books, 
But  civilised  man  cannot  live  without  cooks." 
Vol.  I. — 32 


498  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

Concludino;  that  the  eminent  authority  cited  was 
right,  1  came  back  to  realities  and  continued  my 
journey. 

By  and  hv  I  arrived  at  a  fertile  little  slope  partly 
covered  with  corn  stubble.  At  the  farther  end  of  it 
was  a  large  Cora  ranch  called  La  Cienega,  and  in  front 
of  it  g"rew  two  or  three  mai^nificent  oak-trees  with  linht- 
green  stems  and  equally  light-coloured  leaves.  The 
people  here  were  well  disposed  and  sold  me  some  neces- 
sary supplies,  so  I  stopped  with  them  for  a  day. 

While  descending  to  the  famous  pueblo  Mesa  del 
Nayarit,  one  gets  a  magnificent  view  of  the  high  moun- 
tains which  form  the  western  border  of  the  Fluichol 
country  and  stretch  themselves  out  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  canon  of  Jesus  Maria  like  a  towering  wall  of  a 
hazy  blue  colour.  The  pueblo  lies  on  a  plain  less  than 
a  mile  in  extent  in  either  direction,  on  the  slope  of  the 
sierra,  with  an  open  view  only  toward  the  east.  There 
is  an  idol  of  the  setting  sun  standing  on  the  mesa 
above  the  village,  "looking  toward  Mexico,"  as  the 
Indians  express  it.  This  mesa  is  the  one  called  Tonati 
by  the  chroniclers,  while  by  the  Coras  it  is  called  Naya- 
riti,  and  the  whole  sierra  derived  its  name  from  it.  The 
same  name  is  given  to  a  cave  in  that  locality,  where  the 
Coras,  as  well  as  the  Huichols,  deposit  ceremonial  objects 
and  other  offerings.  The  setting-sun  god  is  worshipped 
equally  by  the  two  tribes.  The  Indians  jealously  guard 
this  cave,  which  is  never  shown  to  outsiders.  This  is 
practically  the  terminus  of  the  Sierra  del  Nayarit.  The 
sierra  from  now  on  is  lower  and  gradually  falls  down  to 
Rio  de  Alica,  or  Rio  Grande  de  Santiago,  where  Sierra 
Madre  del  Norte  ends. 

The  people  here,  though  friendly,  were  less  sympa- 
thetic and  much  more  reserved  than  those  of  Santa 
Teresa,    and    I    could    find    no    one    who  would  divulge 


TRAITS   AND   CUSTOMS  499 

tribal  secrets.  They  had  received  a  message  from  their 
sister  pueblo  telling  them  they  had  nothing  to  fear  from 
me,  but  the  Coras  are  not  easily  scared,  anyhow.  A 
stranger  may  enter  a  house  without  any  further  cere- 
mony than  the  customary  salutation,  "  Axii!"  One  day 
when  I  approached  a  dwelling,  a  nice-looking  little  girl, 
scarcely  tliree  years  of  age,  came  running  out  with  a  big 
knife  in  her  little  fist,  her  mother  following  after  her 
to  catch  her.  The  small  children  curiously  approach 
you,  rather  than  run  away.  My  two  dogs  intruded  into 
a  house  and  met  in  the  doorway  a  little  girl,  about  four 
years  old,  who  was  just  coming  out.  The  family  dog 
was  inside  and  began  at  once  to  bark  at  the  new-comers, 
ready  to  fight,  but  the  little  one  continued  her  walk 
without  in  the  least  changing  the  quiet  expression  of 
her  face. 

Althouirh  the  Coras  here  maintain  their  traditions 
and  customs  more  completely  than  in  other  places,  I 
did  not  see  any  of  the  adults  wearing  the  national  dress, 
buckskin  trousers  and  a  very  short  tunic  reaching  only 
below  the  breast  and  made  of  home-woven  woollen  ma- 
terial dyed  with  native  indigo-blue.  Only  one  of  the 
boys  was  seen  with  this  costume,  and  his  father  was 
said  to  have  it  also.  Yet  the  Coras  do  not  want  to  be 
confounded  with  the  "  neighbours."  When  the  princi- 
pal men  submitted  to  be  photographed,  I  wanted  a 
picture  to  show  their  physique,  and  therefore  asked 
them  to  take  off  their  shirts,  which  they  refused  to 
do.  But  when  I  remarked,  "  You  will  then  look  like 
neighbours,"  the  shirts  came  off  like  a  flash. 

The  gobernador  here  was  an  original  and  peculiar 
character.  First  he  wanted  me  to  camp  in  La  Comuni- 
dad,  to  which  I  objected  ;  but  he  was  bent  upon  having 
me  as  closely  under  his  supervision  as  possible,  and  I 
had  to  agree  to  establish  my  camp  only  half  the  distance 


500  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

that  I  had  intended  from  the  viUaj^e.  As  soon  as  my 
tent  had  been  put  up,  he  came,  accompanied  bv  one  of 
his  friends.  He  had  a  passion  for  talking-,  which  he 
indulged  in  for  two  hours,  interrujJtinLi  liimsclf  about 
everv  twenty  seconds  to  sj)it.  His  c()nipani;)n  wrai)ped 
himself  in  his  blanket  and  began  to  nod,  and  whenever 
the  gobernador  stopped  for  expectoration,  the  other  one 
would  utter  an  assenting  "  ha}^  "  ("yes").  The  Cora  lan- 
guage is  guttural,  but  quite  musical,  and  when  I  heard 
it  at  a  distance  it  reminded  me  in  its  cadence  of  one 
of  the  dialects  of  central  Norwav.  Flowever,  the  go- 
bernador's  monologue  soon  became  very  tiresome,  and 
finally  I  made  my  bed  and  lav  down.  After  a  while 
they  retired,  but  every  evening  as  long  as  I  stayed  in 
the  place,  his  Honour  came  to  bore  me  with  his  talk.  I 
generally  took  him  out  to  my  men,  who  entertained  him 
as  long  as  they  were  able  to  keep  awake.  He  wanted  to 
hear  about  other  countries,  about  the  bears  we  had  met, 
and  the  great  war,  because  he  thought  there  must  always 
be  war  somewhere.  When  evervbody  was  asleep  after 
midnight,  he  would  retire.  He  was  a  widower,  and  he 
was  the  most  un-Indian  Indian  I  ever  met. 

About  five  miles  east  of  Mesa  del  Nayarit  the  de- 
scent toward  the  pueblo  of  Jesus  Maria  begins.  The 
valley  appears  broad  and  hillv,  and  the  vegetation 
assumes  the  aspect  of  the  Hot  Country.  Siiecially 
noticeable  were  the  usual  lliickets  of  thornv.  di"v,  and 
scraggy  trees,  seen  even  on  the  edge  of  the  mesa.  They 
are  caWcd  o?n'sac//z,  and  in  the  vernacular  of  the  common 
man  the  word  has  been  utilised  to  designate  a  shari)er. 
A  man  who  "  hooks  on,"  as,  for  instance,  a  tiickv  law\'er, 
is  called  a  i^iiisacJicro.  It  is  the  counterj)art  of  the 
"lawyer  palm"  among  the  shrubs  of  troi)ical  Aus- 
tralia. 

Jesus  Maria  looks  at  a  distance  quite  a  town,  on  a 


CORA    HABITATIONS  503 

little  j)lain  above  the  river-bank.  A  fine,  grand-looking 
old  chureh,  in  Moorish  style,  a  large  churehyard  sur- 
rounding it,  and  tiie  usual  big  buildings  eonneeted  with 
the  churehes  of  Spanish  times,  make  an  extraordinary 
impression  among  the  pithaya-covered  hills.  The  rest 
of  the  houses  look  humble  enough.  1  went  a  little 
beyond  the  pueblo  to  the  junetion  of  arroyo  Fraile  with 
the  river  of  Jesus  Maria.  As  a  violent  wind,  eaused  by 
the  eooling  off  of  the  hot  air  of  the  barranca,  blows 
every  afternoon,  I  did  not  put  up  my  tent,  but  had  my 
men  build  an  open  shed.  The  wind  lasts  until  mid- 
night, and  the  mornings  are  delightfully  calm  and  cool. 
The  Coras  consider  this  wind  beneficial  to  the  growth  of 
the  corn,  and  sacrifice  a  tamal  of  ashes,  two  feet  long, 
to  keep  it  in  the  vallev. 

The  Cora  of  the  canon,  and  probably  of  the  entire 
Tierra  Caliente,  is  of  a  milder  disposition  than  his 
brother  of  the  sierra,  but  he  looks  after  his  own  advan- 
tage  as  closely  as  the  rest  of  them. 

The  houses  of  the  village  are  built  of  stone  with 
thatched  roofs,  and,  having  no  means  of  ventilation, 
become  dreadfully  overheated.  I  frequently  noticed 
people  lying  on  the  floor  in  these  hovels,  suffering  from 
colds.  In  the  summer  there  is  also  prev^alent  in  the 
valley  a  disease  of  the  eyes  which  makes  them  red  and 
swollen.  Although  the  country  is  malarial,  the  Indians 
attain  to  remarkable  longevity,  and  their  women  are 
wonderfully  well  preserved.  All  Indian  women  age 
very  late  in  life,  a  trait  many  of  their  white  sisters  might 
be  pardonably  envious  of. 

There  are  twenty  Mexicans  living  here,  counting  the 
children  ;  they  are  poor,  and  have  no  house  or  lands 
of  their  own,  but  live  in  the  Convento  and  rent  lands 
from  the  Indians.  The  Coras,  of  course,  are  all  nomi- 
nally Christians,  and  the  padre   from   San  Juan  Peyotan 


5^4 


UNKNOWN    MEXICO 


attends  to  their  religious  needs.  I  was  told  that  as 
recently  as  forty  years  ago  they  had  to  be  driven  to 
church  with  scourges.  Some  families  still  put  their  dead 
away  in  caves  difficult  of  access,  closing  up  the  entrance, 
without  interring  the  bodies,  and  they  still  dance  mitote, 
although  more  or  less  secretly. 

The  Indians  catch  crayfish,  and  other  small  fish,  with 
a  kind  of  hand-net  of  cotton  thread,  whicli  they  hold 
wide  open  with  their  elbows  while  crawling  in  the  water 
between  the  stones.  Where  the  river  is  deep  they  will 
even  dive  with  the  net  held  in  this  way. 

The  dav  after  mv  arrival  I  was  requested  to  come  to 
La  Comunidad,  that  the  people  might  hear  my  letters 
read.  This  over,  I  explained  that  I  wanted  them  to  sell 
me  some  corn  and  beans,  a  blue  tunic  of  native  make, 
and  otiier  objects  of  interest  to  me,  that  I  also  wanted 
them  to  furnish  me  two  reliable  men  to  go  to  the  city 
of  Tepic  for  mail  and  money  ;  that  I  wished  to  photo- 
graph them  and  to  be  shown  their  burial-caves,  and  to 
have  a  real,  good  old  shaman  visit  me,  and  some  men  to 
interpret.  The  messengers  were  duly  appointed,  l)ut  it 
took  them  two  days  to  prepare  the  tortillas  they  had  to 
take  along  as  provisions.  Mv  desire  to  see  the  burial- 
caves  was  looked  upon  with  ill-favour.  The  old  shaman, 
however,  was  prompllv  sent  for.  lie  soon  arrived  at 
the  council-house,  and  without  having  seen  me  he  told 
the  Indian  authorities  that  "it  was  all  right  to  tell 
this  man  about  their  ancient  beliefs,  that  the  Govern- 
ment migiit  know  everything."  When  he  came  to  see 
me  betook  m\Mian(l  to  kiss,  as  if  I  were  a  padrt-,  and  I 
had  a  most  interesting  interview  with  the  truthful,  dear 
old  man,  who  told  me  much  about  the  (^ora  m\ths,  tia- 
ditions,  and  history.  I  gathered  from  what  he  said  that 
he  could  not  l)e  far  from  a  hundred  vears  old,  and  he 
had  not  a  grey  hair  in  his   head.      Tlis  faculties  were  in- 


RELIGIOUS    HOSTILITY  505 

tact,  except  his  hearing,  and  while  1  was  interviewing 
him  he  was  making  a  fish-net. 

I  had  him  with  me  one  day  and  a  part  of  the  next, 
hut  hv  tluit  time  he  was  a  good  deal  fatigued  mentally, 
and  1  had  to  let  him  go. 

There  was  an  Indian  here,  Canuto,  who  could  read 
and  write,  and,  as  he  took  a  great  interest  in  church  affairs, 
he  acted  as  a  kind  of  })adre.  I  was  told  that  he  ascended 
the  pulpit  and  delivered  sermons  in  Cora,  and  that  he  as- 
pired even  to  bless  water,  but  this  the  padre  had  forbid- 
den him.  He  was  very  suspicious  and  intolerant  and 
quite  an  ardent  Catholic,  the  first  Indian  I  had  met  who 
had  entirely  relinquished  his  native  belief.  He  actually 
did  not  like  mitote  dancing,  and  the  other  Indians  did 
not  take  kindly  to  him.  All  the  time  I  was  here  he 
worked  against  me,  because  the  priest  of  San  Juan 
Peyotan,  as  I  learned,  had  denounced  me  before  the 
people. 

Two  traders  from  that  town,  who  had  been  visiting 
Santa  Teresa  while  I  was  there,  had  reported  to  the  pa- 
dre the  presence  of  a  mysterious  gringo  (American), 
who  had  a  fine  outfit  of  boxes  and  pack-mules,  and  who 
gave  the  Coras  "  precious  jewellery  "  to  buy  their  souls, 
and  visited  their  dances.  The  padre,  without  having 
ever  seen  me,  concluded  that  I  was  a  travelling  Protes- 
tant missionary,  and  one  day  after  mass  he  warned  the 
people  against  the  bad  Protestant  who  was  on  his  way  to 
corrupt  their  hearts  and  to  disturb  this  valley  in  which 
there  had  always  been  peace.  "  Do  not  accept  anvthing 
from  him,  not  even  his  money  ;  do  not  allow  him  to 
enter  the  church,  and  do  not  give  him  anything,  not 
even  a  glass  of  water,"  he  said.  This  padre,  so  I  was 
told  by  reliable  authority,  made  the  judges  at  San  Juan 
and  at  San  Lucas  punish  men  and  women  for  offences 
that  did   not  come  under  their  jurisdiction.      The  men 


5o6  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

were  put  into  prison,  while  the  women  had  fastened 
to  their  ankles  a  heavy  round  l)oard,  which  they  had 
to  drag  wherever  they  went  fur  a  week  or  two.  It  caused 
them  great  difficulty  in  walking,  and  they  could  not 
kneel  down  at  the  metate  with  it. 

His  speeches  about  me  made  a  decj)  im})ressi()n  upon 
the  illiterate  Mexicans  in  that  remote  pari  of  the  world, 
who  in  consequence  of  it  looked  upon  me  with  sus- 
picion and  shunned  me.  Not  knowing  anything  better, 
they  invented  all  kinds  of  wild  charges  against  me  :  I 
was  surveying  the  lands  for  Porfirio  Diaz,  who  wanted 
to  sell  the  Cora  country  to  the  Americans  ;  I  appealed 
only  to  the  Indians  because  they  were  more  confiding 
and  could  be  more  easily  led  astray,  my  alleged  aim 
being  to  make  Freemasons  out  of  them.  A  Freemason 
is  the  one  thing  of  which  these  people  have  a  supersti- 
tious dread  and  horror.  Even  my  letters  of  recommen- 
dation were  doubted  and  considered  spurious.  How- 
ever, one  old  man,  whose  \y\ic  I  had  cured,  told  me  that 
Protestants  are  also  Christians,  and  in  his  opinion  I  was 
even  better  than  a  Protestant.  Fortunately,  the  Indians 
U'Cre  less  impressionable,  and  as  their  brethren  in  the 
sierra  had  not  reported  to  them  anything  bad  about  me, 
they  could  see  no  harm  in  a  man  who  did  not  cheat  anv- 
one  and  took  an  interest  in  their  ancient  customs  and 
beliefs,  while  the  padres  had  always  made  short  work  of 
their  sacred  ceremonial  things,  breaking  and  burning 
them. 

When  at  last  my  messengers  returned,  after  an  ab- 
sence of  twelve  days,  I  was  surprised  to  note  that  they 
were  accompanied  by  two  gendarmes.  The  Comman- 
dant-General of  the  Territory  of  Tepic  had  not  only 
been  kind  enough  to  cash  my  check  for  about  $200,  but 
had  deemed  it  wise  to  send  me  the  money  under  the 
protection  of  an   escort,    a   precaution   which  I  duly  ap- 


SCORPIONS  907 

preciated.  As  the  return  of  the  men  was  the  only  thin^ 
I  had  been  waitini^  for,  I  now  prepared  to  move  up  the 
river  to  the  near-by  pueblo  of  San  Franciseo,  where 
tiie  population  is  freer  from  Mexican  influence. 

When  my  hut  was  broken  up,  I  found  among  my 
effects  ten  scorpions.  The  canon  is  noted  for  its  multi- 
tude of  scorpions,  and  I  was  told  that  a  piece  of  land 
above  San  Juan  Peyotan  had  to  be  abandoned  on  ac- 
count of  these  creatures.  The  scorpion's  sting  is  the 
most  common  complaint  hereabout,  and  children  fre- 
quently die  from  it,  though  not  all  kinds  of  scorpions  are 
dangerous.  The  consensus  of  opinion  is  that  the  small 
whitish-yellow  variety  is  the  one  most  to  be  dreaded. 
The  Cura  of  Santa  Magdalena,  State  of  Jalisco,  assured 
me  that  he  had  known  the  sting  of  such  scorpions  to 
cause  the  death  of  full-grown  people  within  two  hours. 

The  scorpions  of  Mexico  seem  to  have  an  unac- 
countable preference  for  certain  localities,  where  they 
maybe  found  in  great  numbers.  In  the  city  of  Durango 
the  hotels  advertise,  as  an  attraction,  that  there  are  no 
scorpions  in  them.  For  a  number  of  years,  according  to 
the  municipal  records,  something  like  60,000  scorpions 
have  been  annually  killed,  the  city  paying  one  centavo 
for  each.  Some  persons  earn  a  dollar  a  night  by  this 
means.  Yet  some  forty  victims,  mostly  children,  die 
every  year  there  from  scorpion-stings. 

The  cura  quoted  above  thinks  that  there  is  a  zone 
of  scorpions  extending  from  the  mining-place  of  Brama- 
dor,  near  Talpa,  Territory  of  Tepic,  as  far  north  as  the 
city  of  Durango,  though  he  could  not  outline  its  lateral 
extent.  At  Santa  Magdalena  the  scorpions  are  not 
very  dangerous. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

A  CORDIAL  RECEPTION  AT  SAN  FRANCISCO — MEXICANS  IN  THE  EM- 
PLOY OF  INDIANS — THE  MORNING  STAR,  THE  GREAT  GOD  OF 
THE  CORAS — THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  WORLD — HOW  THE  RAIN- 
CLOUDS    WERE  FIRST    SECURED THE    RABBIT  AND    THE    DEER 

APHORISMS  OF  A    CORA  SHAMAN AN    EVENTFUL   NIGHT HUNT- 
ING   FOR  SKULLS MY   PROGRESS  IMPEDED    BY  THE    PADRE's  BAN 

— FINAL    START  FOR  THE    HUICHOL    COUNTRY — A    THREATENED 
DESERTION. 

AT  the  pueblo  of  San  Francisco,  prettily  situated  at 
the  bend  of  a  river,  I  was  made  very  welcome. 
The  Casa  Real,  another  name  for  the  building  generally 
designated  as  La  Comunidad,  had  been  swept  and  looked 
clean  and  cool,  and  I  acce{)ted  the  invdtation  to  lodge 
there.  It  was  furnislicd  with  the  unheard-of  luxury  of 
a  bedstead,  or  rather  the  framework  of  one,  made  of  a 
network  of  strong  strips  of  hide.  As  the  room  was 
dark,  I  moved  this  contrivance  out  on  the  veranda, 
where  I  also  stored  my  baggage,  while  my  aparejos  and 
saddles  were  put  into  the  prison  next  door.  Two  Indians 
were  appointed  to  sleep  near  by  to  guard  me.  ^Vhcn 
I  objected  to  this  I  was  informed  that  two  fellows  from 
Jesus  Maria  had  been  talking  of  killing  me  as  the  easiest 
way  of  cari\ing  out  the  pndrc's  orders.  I  felt  <}uite  at 
iiome  among  these  friendU'.  well-incaiiing  jieojile,  and 
paid  off  in\'  men,  who  returned  to  their  homes.  I 
thought  that  whenever  I  decided  to  start  out  again,  I 
could  get  men  here  to  help  me  to  reach  the  country 
of  the  lluichols.  A  shaman  who  knew  more  than  all 
others  was  deputed  to  give  me  the  information  I  wanted 
about  the  ancient  beliefs  and  tiadilions  of  the  Coras. 

508 


SKULLS    IN   BURIAL-CAVES  509 

The  people  also  agreed  to  let  me  see  their  mitote, 
whieh  at  this  time  of  the  year  is  given  every  Wednesday 
for  five  consecutive  weeks  in  order  to  bring  about  the 
rainy  season.  The  fourth  of  this  year's  series  was  to  be 
on  May  2 2d.  As  to  Ijurial-caves,  they  at  first  denied 
that  there  were  any  skidls  in  the  neighbourhood,  but 
finally  consented  to  show  me  some.  Later  on,  how- 
ever, an  important  shaman  objected  to  this,  strongly 
advising  the  people  not  to  do  so,  because  the  dead  helped 
to  make  the  rain  they  were  praying  for,  at  least  they 
could  be  induced  not  to  interfere  with  the  clouds. 

A  few  Coras  here  were  married  to  "  neighbours," 
and  some  Cora  women  had  taken  "  neighbours "  for 
husbands.  For  the  first  time,  and  also  the  last,  in  all  my 
travels,  I  had  here  the  gratification  of  seeing  impe- 
cunious Mexicans  from  other  parts  of  the  country  at 
work  in  the  fields  for  the  Coras,  who  paid  them  the  cus- 
tomary Mexican  wages  of  twenty-five  centavos  a  day. 
The  real  owners  of  the  land  for  once  maintained  their 
proper  position. 

I  saw  hikuli  cultivated  near  some  of  the  houses  in 
San  Francisco.  They  were  in  blossom,  producing  beau- 
tiful large,  white  flowers.  The  plant  is  used  at  the  mi- 
totes,  but  not  generally. 

On  both  sides  of  the  steep  arroyo  near  San  Francisco 
were  a  great  number  of  ancient  walls  of  loose  stones,  one 
above  the  other,  a  kind  of  fortification.  In  other  locali- 
ties, sometimes  in  places  where  one  would  least  expect 
them,  I  found  a  number  of  circular  figures  formed  by 
upright  stones  firmly  embedded  in  the  ground,  in  the 
same  way  as  those  described  earlier  in  this  narrative. 

The  pueblo,  mirabile  dictu,  had  a  Huichol  teacher, 
whom  the  authorities  considered,  and  justly  so,  to  be 
better  than  the  ordinary  Mexican  teacher.  He  was  one 
of  nine  boys  whom  the   Bishop  of  Zacatecas,  in   1879, 


510  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

while  on  a  missionary  tour  in  the  Huichol  country,  had 
picked  out  to  educate  for  the  priesthood.  After  an  ad- 
venturous career,  whicii  drove  him  out  u(  his  own  coun- 
tr\',  he  manasred  now  to  maintain  himself  here.  Al- 
thoui^h  his  word  could  not  be  implicitly  trusted,  he 
helped  me  to  get  on  with  the  Coras,  and  I  am  under 
some  obligation  to  him. 

A  prominent  feature  in  the  elaborate  ceremonies  of 
the  tribe,  connected  with  the  coming  of  age  of  boys  and 
girls,  is  the  drinking  of  home-made  mescal.  The  lifting 
of  the  cochiste,  as  described  among  the  Aztecs,  is  also 
practised,  at  least  among  the  Coras  of  the  sierra,  and  is 
always  performed  at  full  moon. 

The  people  begin  to  marry  when  they  are  fifteen 
years  old,  and  they  may  live  to  be  a  hundred.  The 
arrangement  of  marriages  by  the  parents  of  the  boy 
without  consulting  him  is  a  custom  still  largely  followed. 
On  fiv^e  occasions,  every  eighth  day,  they  go  to  ask  for 
the  bride  tiiey  have  selected.  If  she  consents  to  marry 
the  man,  then  all  is  right.  One  man  of  my  acquaint- 
ance did  not  know  his  "  affinity  "  when  his  parents  in- 
formed him  that  they  had  a  bride  for  him.  Three  weeks 
later  they  were  married,  and,  as  in  the  fairy-tale,  lived 
happily  ever  afterward.  His  parents  and  grandparents 
fasted  before  the  wedding.  In  San  Francisco  I  saw  men 
and  women  who  were  married,  or  engaged  to  be  married, 
bathing  together  in  the  river. 

Fasting  is  also  a  notable  feature  in  the  religion  of 
the  Coras,  and  is  considered  essential  for  producing 
rain  and  good  crojis.  Abstinence  from  drinking  water 
for  two  days  during  droughts  is  sometimes  observed. 
The  principal  men  on  such  occasions  may  undertake  to 
do  the  fasting  for  the  rest  of  the  j^eople.  They  then 
shut  themselves  up  in  La  Comunidad,  sit  down,  smoke, 
and  keep  their  eyes  on  the  ground. 


SIOKY    OF   THE   iMORNING   STAR       511 

The  Coras  of  the  canon  are  not  always  in  summer  in 
accord  with  Father  Sun,  because  he  is  lierce,  j)roducing 
sickness  and  killing  men  and  animals.  Chulavete,  the 
Morning  Star,  who  is  the  protecting  genius  of  the 
Coras,  has  constantly  to  watch  the  Sun  lest  he  should 
harm  the  people.  In  ancient  times,  when  the  Sun  first 
appeared,  the  Morning  Star,  who  is  cool  and  disliked 
heat,  shot  him  in  the  middle  of  the  breast,  just  as  he 
had  journeyed  nearly  half  across  the  sky.  The  Sun 
fell  down  on  earth,  but  an  old  man  brought  him  to 
life  again,  so  that  he  could  tramp  back  and  make  a  fresh 
start. 

The  Morning  Star  is  the  principal  great  god  of  the 
Coras.  In  the  small  hours  of  the  morning  they  fre- 
quently go  to  some  spring  and  wash  themselves  by  his 
light.  He  is  their  brother,  a  young  Indian  with  bow 
and  arrow,  who  intercedes  with  the  other  gods  to  help 
the  people  in  their  troubles.  At  their  dances  they  first 
call  him  to  be  present,  and  tell  their  wants  to  him,  that 
he  may  report  them  to  the  Sun  and  the  Moon  and  the 
rest  of  the  gods. 

A  pathetic  story  of  the  modern  adventures  of  this 
their  great  hero-god  graphically  sets  forth  the  Indian's 
conception  of  the  condition  in  which  he  finds  himself 
after  the  arrival  of  the  white  man.  Chulavete  was  poor, 
and  the  rich  people  did  not  like  him.  But  afterward  they 
took  to  him,  because  they  found  that  he  was  a  nice  man, 
and  they  asked  him  to  come  and  eat  with  them.  He 
went  to  their  houses  dressed  like  the  "neighbours." 
But  once  when  they  invited  him  he  came  like  an  Indian 
boy,  almost  naked.  He  stopped  outside  of  the  house, 
and  the  host  came  out  with  a  torch  of  pinewood  to  see 
who  it  was.  He  did  not  recognise  Chulavete,  and  called 
out  to  him  :  *'  Get  away,  you  Indian  pig  !  What  are  you 
doing    here?"      And  with  his  torch  he  burned  stripes 


512  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

down  the  arms  and  legs  of  the  shrinkino;  Chulavete. 
Next  day  Chulavete  received  another  invitation  to  eat 
with  the  "  neighbours."  This  time  he  made  himself 
int(^  a  big  bearded  fellow,  with  the  c()mj)le.\ion  of  a 
man  half  white,  and  he  put  on  the  clothes  in  which  they 
knew  him.  He  came  on  a  good  horse,  had  a  nice 
blanket  over  his  shoulder,  wore  a  sombrero  and  a  good 
sabre.  They  met  him  at  the  door  and  led  him  into  the 
house. 

"  Here  I  am  at  your  service,  to  see  what  I  can  do  for 
you,"  he  said  to  them. 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  they  said.  "  We  invited  you  because  we 
like  you,  not  because  we  want  anything  of  30U.  Sit 
down  and  eat." 

He  sat  down  to  the  table,  which  was  loaded  with  all 
the  good  things  rich  people  eat.  He  put  a  roll  of  bread 
on  his  plate,  and  then  began  to  make  slrij)es  with  it  on 
his  arms  and  legs. 

"  Why  do  you  do  that  ?"  they  asked  him.  "  We  in- 
vited you  to  eat  what  we  eat." 

Chulavete  replied  :  "  Vou  do  not  wish  that  my  heart 
may  eat,  but  my  dress.  Look  here  !  Last  night  it  was 
I  who  was  outside  of  your  door.  The  man  who  came 
to  see  me  burned  me  with  his  pine  torch,  and  said  to 
me,  '  You  Indian  pig,  what  do  you  want  here?'  " 

"  Was  that  you  ?  "  they  asked. 

"  Yes,  gentlemen,  it  was  I  who  came  then.  As  you 
did  not  give  me  anything  yesterday,  I  see  that  you  do 
not  want  to  give  the  food  to  me,  but  to  mv  clothes. 
Therefore,  I  had  better  give  it  to  them."  lie  took  the 
chocolate  and  the  coffee  and  poured  it  over  himself  as  if 
it  were  water,  and  he  broke  tlie  bread  into  pieces  and 
rubbed  it  all  over  his  dress.  The  sweetened  rice,  and 
boiled  hen  with  rice,  sweet  atolc,  minced  meat  witli 
chile,   rice  pudding,   and   beef   soup,   all   this  he   poured 


COKA    TRADITIONS  513 

over  himself.     The  rich  people  were  frightened  and  said 
that  thev  had  not  recognised  him. 

"You  burned  me  vestcrdav  because  I  was  an  Indian," 
he  said.  "  God  put  me  in  the  world  as  an  Indian.  But 
you  do  not  care  for  the  Indians,  because  they  are  naked 
and  ugly."  He  took  the  rest  of  the  food,  and  smeared 
it  over  his  saddle  and  his  horse,  and  went  away. 

The  Coras  say  they  originated  in  the  east,  and  were 
big  people  with  broad  and  handsome  faces  and  long  hair. 
They  then  spoke  another  language,  and  there  were  no 
"  neiQ:hbours."  According-  to  another  tradition,  the  men 
came  from  the  east  and  the  women  from  the  west. 

In  the  beirinninof  the  earth  was  flat  and  full  of  water, 
and  therefore  the  corn  rotted.  The  ancient  people  had 
to  think  and  work  and  fast  much  to  get  the  world  in 
shape.  The  birds  came  together  to  see  what  they  could 
do  to  bring  about  order  in  the  world,  so  that  it  would  be 
possible  to  plant  corn.  First  they  asked  the  red-headed 
vulture,  the  principal  of  all  the  birds,  to  set  things  right, 
but  he  said  he  could  not.  They  sent  for  all  the  birds  in 
the  world,  one  after  another,  to  induce  them  to  per- 
form the  deed,  but  none  would  undertake  it.  At  last 
came  the  bat,  very  old  and  much  wrinkled.  His  hair 
and  his  beard  were  white  with  age,  and  there  was  plenty 
of  dirt  on  his  face,  as  he  never  bathes.  He  was  support- 
ing himself  with  a  stick,  because  he  was  so  old  he  could 
hardly  walk.  He  also  said  that  he  was  not  equal  to  the 
task,  but  at  last  he  agreed  to  try  what  he  could  do. 
That  same  night  he  darted  violently  through  the  air,  cut- 
ting outlets  for  the  waters  ;  but  he  made  the  valleys  so 
deep  that  it  was  impossible  to  walk  about,  and  the  princi- 
pal men  reproached  him  for  this.  "Then  I  will  put 
everything  back  as  it  was  before,"  he  said. 

"  No,  no!"  thev  all  said.      "What  we  want  is  to  make 


514  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

the  slopes  of  a  lower   incline,  and  lo   leave  some  level 
land,  and  do  not  make  all  the  country  mountains." 

This  the  bat  did,  and   the  princij)al  men  thanked  him 
for  it.      Thus  the  world  has  remained  up  to  tliis  day. 

No  rain  was  falling,  and  the  five  principal  men  de- 
spatched the  humming-bird  lo  the  place  in  the  east  where 
the  rain-clouds  are  living,  to  ask  them  to  come  over 
here.  The  clouds  came  very  fast  and  killed  the  hum- 
ming-bird, and  then  returned  to  their  home.  After  a 
while  the  humming-bird  came  to  life,  and  told  the 
principal  men  that  the  clouds  had  gone  back.  The 
people  then  sent  out  the  frog  with  his  five  sons.  As 
he  proceeded  toward  the  east  he  left  one  of  his  sons 
on  each  mountain.  He  called  the  clouds  to  come,  and 
they  followed  and  overtook  him  on  the  road.  But  he 
hid  himself  under  a  stone,  and  they  passed  over  him. 
Then  the  fifth  son  called  them  on,  and  when  thev  ov^er- 
took  him  he,  too,  hid  himself  under  a  stone.  Then  the 
fourth  son  called  the  clouds  and  hid,  then  the  third  son 
called,  and  then  the  second,  and  finallv  the  first,  who  had 
been  placed  on  a  mountain  from  which  the  sea  can  be 
seen  to  the  w^est  of  the  sierra.  When  the  storm-clouds 
went  away  again,  the  frogs  began  to  sing  merrily,  which 
they  do  to  this  day  after  rain,  and  they  still  hide 
under  stones  when  rain  is  coming  to  the  Cora  country. 

The  rabbit  in  olden  times  had  hoofs  like  the  deer, 
and  the  deer  had  claws.  They  met  on  the  road  and  sa- 
luted each  other  as  friends.  Said  tlic  deer  :  "  Listen, 
friend,  lend  \uc  vour  sandals,  to  see  how  thev  feel.  Onlv 
for  a  mcjment."  The  rabbit,  who  was  afraid  the  deer 
would  steal  them,  refused  at  lirst,  but  at  last  he  afri'eed, 
and  the  deer,  putting  them  on,  rose  and  began  to  dance. 
"Oh,  how  bcautifudv  it  sounds!"  lie  said,  lie  danced 
five  circuits,  and  began  to  dance   mitote  and  smg.      The 


AN    INTELLIGENT    SHAMAN  515 

rabbit  sat  looking  on,  and  was  in  a  dejected  mood,  fear- 
ing that  the  deer  migiit  not  give  him  back  his  sandals. 
The  deer  then  asked  permission  to  run  five  big  circuits 
over  tiie  mountains.  The  rabbit  said  no,  but  the  deer 
went  away,  promising  to  come  back  directly.  He  re- 
turned four  times,  but  on  the  fifth  round  he  ran  away. 
The  rabbit  climbed  up  on  a  mountain  and  saw  the  deer 
already  far  off.  He  wanted  to  follow  him,  but  he  could 
not,  because  his  feet  were  bare.  The  deer  never  re- 
turned the  hoofs  to  the  rabbit,  and  hoofless  the  rabbit 
has  remained  to  this  day. 

I  had  many  interesting  interviews  with  the  old  sha- 
man whom  the  authorities  had  appointed  to  serve  me. 
He  confided  to  me  that  for  many  years  he  had  faithfully 
fulfilled  his  office  as  the  principal  singing  shaman  of  the 
community,  but  that  the  people  had  once  suddenly  ac- 
cused him  of  practising  sorcery  and  wanted  to  punish 
him.  Being  very  intelligent  and  upright,  he  was  of 
great  assistance  to  me,  and  the  more  eager  to  do  all 
he  could  for  the  grudge  he  bore  his  compatriots  for 
accusing  him  of  sorcery.  No  doubt  he  was  glad  of  my 
coming,  as  it  gave  him  a  chance  to  rehabilitate  himself, 
since,  for  the  first  time  in  three  years,  he  had  been 
engaged  to  sing  at  the  dance.  Be  this  as  it  may,  I 
obtained  much  valuable  information  from  him.  He 
could  elucidate  the  trend  of  Indian  thought  better  than 
any  shaman  I  had  hitherto  met,  and  his  talk  was  full 
of  aphorisms  and  opinions  with  reference  to  Indian 
views  of  life. 

Referring  to  the  manv  regulations  and  observances 
the  Indians  have  to  comply  with  in  order  to  insure  food, 
health,  and  life,  he  said  :  "  A  man  has  to  do  a  good  deal 
to  live.  Every  tortilla  we  eat  is  the  result  of  our  work. 
If  we  do  not  work,  it  does  not  rain."     That  the  "work" 


5i6  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

consists  in  fasting,  praying,  and  dancing  does  not  de- 
tract from  its  hardshij). 

Other  sayings  i  picked  up  are  as  follows  : 

We  do  not  know  liow  manv  gods  there  are. 

The  Moon  is  man  and  woman  combined  ;  men  see 
in  her  a  woman,  women  see  a  man. 

It  is  better  to  give  a  wife  to  vour  son  before  he 
opens  his  eyes  very  much  ;  if  not,  he  will  not  know 
whom  he  wants. 

Illness  is  like  a  person  ;  it  hears. 

Ev^erything  is  alive  ;  there  is  nothing  dead  in  the 
world.  The  people  say  the  dead  are  dead  ;  but  they  are 
very  much  alive. 

My  friend  went  with  me  in  the  afternoon  to  the 
place  where  the  mitote  was  to  be  given.  As  the  prepa- 
rations of  the  principal  men  consume  two  days,  and  I 
was  bent  on  seeing  everything,  I  went  to  the  place  the 
day  before  the  dance  was  to  come  off.  It  was  a  few 
miles  away  in  a  remote  locality,  on  top  of  a  hill  the 
upper  part  of  which  was  composed  mainly  of  huge 
stones,  some  of  them  as  regular  in  shape  as  if  they  had 
been  chiselled.  Here  and  there  in  the  few  0})en  spaces 
some  shrubbery  grew.  An  opening  in  the  midst  of  the 
great  mass  of  stones  had  been  prepared  to  serve  as  a 
dancing-place.  The  big  stones  looked  dead  enough,  but 
to  the  Indians  they  are  alive.  They  arc  what  the  Coras 
call  Tdquats  or  ancient  people.  Once  upon  a  time  they 
went  to  a  mitote,  just  as  we  were  doing  now,  when  the 
morning  star  arose  before  they  arrived  at  their  destina- 
tion, and  all  were  changed  into  stone,  and  ever  since 
have  appeared  like  stones.  My  companion  j)ointed  out 
the  various  figures  of  men,  women,  and  children,  with 
their  bundles  and  baskets,  girdles,  etc.,  and  in  the  wan- 
ing light  of  day  it  was  not  difficult  to  understand  how 


r^ 

o 

^ 

o 

p. 

U-, 

rrt 

<u 

tf 

.s 

o 

o 

v: 

-C 

« 

11. 

CL, 

INDIAN    IDOLATRY  519 

the  Indians  had  come  to  this  conception  of  the  fantastic 
forms  standing  all  around  the  place.  Even  a  mountain 
may  be  a  Taquat,  and  all  the  Taquats  are  gods  to  whom 
the  Coras  pray  and  sacriiice  food  ;  but  it  is  bad  to  talk 
about  them. 

It  had  often  been  a  puzzle  to  me  why  primitive 
people  should  make  for  themselves  stone  idols  to  whom 
they  might  sacrifice  and  pray  ;  but  what  is  to  us  a  rock 
or  stone  may  be  to  the  Indian  a  man  or  a  god  of  ancient 
times,  now  turned  into  stone.  By  carving  out  features, 
head,  body,  or  limbs,  they  only  bring  before  their  physi- 
cal eyes  what  is  in  their  mind's  eye.  This  peculiar  kind 
of  pantheism  can  never  be  eradicated  from  the  Indian's 
heart  unless  he  is  from  infancy  estranged  from  his  tribal 
life. 

In  the  centre  of  the  dancing-place  stood  a  magnifi- 
cent tree  not  yet  in  leaf,  called  cJiocotc,  and  there  was 
some  shrubbery  growing  about  and  around  the  place, 
which  is  very  old.  Only  a  few  yards  higher  up  among 
the  rocks  is  a  similar  spot,  with  traces  of  still  greater 
antiquity.  The  Indians  had  promised  me  that  on  this 
occasion  one  of  their  shamans  would  make  a  god's 
eye  for  me,  and  I  was  shown  the  stone  on  which  he 
would  sit  while  making  it.  It  was  near  the  tree  ;  and 
back  of  it,  arranged  in  a  circle  around  the  fire,  were  six 
similar  stones,  in  place  of  the  stools  I  had  seen  in  Pue- 
blo Viejo.  The  principal  men  had  swept  the  place  in 
the  morning,  and  since  then  had  been  smoking  pipes 
and  talking  to  the  gods. 

There  were  also  present  a  female  principal,  an  old 
woman,  with  her  little  granddaughter  who  represented 
the  moon.  These  too,  it  seemed,  had  to  attend  to  cer- 
tain religious  duties  which  they  perform  for  five  years, 
the  child  beg-inninof  at  the  innocent  aije  of  three.  Dur- 
ing  her  term  she  lives  with  the  old  woman,  whether  she 


520  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

is  related  to  her  or  not.  The  old  lady  has  charge  of 
the  large  sacred  bowl  of  the  community,  an  office  vested 
only  in  a  woman  of  undoubted  chastity.  This  bowl  is 
called  "  Mother,  "  and  is  prayed  to.  It  consists  of  half 
of  a  large  round  gourd,  adorned  inside  and  outside  with 
strings  of  beads  of  various  colours.  It  is  filled  with 
wads  of  cotton,  under  which  lie  carved  stone  figures  of 
great  antiquity.  None  but  the  chief  religious  authority 
is  allowed  to  lift  up  the  cotton,  the  svmbol  of  health 
and  life.  The  bowl  rests  also  on  cotton  wads.  On 
festive  occasions  the  woman  in  charge  brings  the  bowl 
to  the  dancing-place  and  deposits  it  at  the  middle  of  the 
altar.  Parrot  feathers  are  stood  up  along  the  inner 
edge,  and  each  person  as  he  arrives  places  a  flower  on 
top  of  the  cotton  inside  of  the  bowl.  This  vessel  is 
really  the  patron  saint  of  the  community.  It  is  like  a 
mother  of  the  tribe,  and  understands,  so  the  Indians  sav, 
no  language  but  Cora.  The  Christian  saints  understand 
Cora,  Spanish,  and  French  ;  but  the  Virgin  Mary  at 
Guadalupe,  the  native  saint  of  the  Mexican  Indians, 
understands  all  Indian  languages. 

Leaving  the  principales  to  prepare  themselves  further 
for  the  dance,  my  friend  and  I  early  next  morning  went 
to  see  a  sacred  cave  where  the  Huichols  go  to  worship. 
It  was  situated  in  the  same  hill,  outside  of  the  country 
of  that  tribe.  There  were  a  great  many  caves  and  cavi- 
ties between  the  stones  over  which  we  made  our  way, 
jumping  from  one  to  another.  Near  the  lower  edge  of 
this  accumulation  of  stones  I  noticed,  down  in  the  dark, 
deep  recesses,  ceremonial  arrows  which  the  pious  piL 
grims  from  beyond  the  eastern  border  of  the  Cora  land 
had  left.  Soon  after  passing  this  point  v/e  came  to  a 
cave,  the  approach  of  which  led  downward  and  was 
rather  narrow.  With  the  aid  of  a  pole  or  a  rope  it  can 
easily  be  entered.      I  found  myself  at  one  of  the  ancient 


CEREMONIAL   OBJECTS 


:2i 


places  of  worship  of  the  Huichol  Indians,  the  cave  of 
their  Goddess  of  the  Western  Clouds.  It  was  not  large, 
but  the  many  singular  ceremonial  objects,  of  all  shapes 
and  colours,  accumulated  within  it, 
made  a  strange  impression  upon  me. 
There  were  great  numbers  of  cere- 
monial arrows,  many  with  diminutive 
deer-snares  attached,  to  pray  for  luck 
in  hunting  ;  as  well  as  votive  bowls, 
gods'  eyes,  and  many  other  articles  by 
which  prayers  are  expressed.  In  one 
corner  was  a  heap  of  deer-heads, 
brought  for  the  same  purpose.  As 
my  companion  entered,  a  rat  -disap- 
peared in  the  twilight  of  the  cave. 

I  wanted  to  take  some  samples  of 
the  articles,  but  he  begged  me  not  to 
do  it,  as  the  poor  fellows  who  had 
sacrificed  the  thino-s  might  be  cheated 
out  of  the  benefits  they  had  expected 
from  them.  He  had,  however,  no 
objection  to  my  taking  a  small  rect- 
angular piece  of  textile  fabric,  with 
beautifully  colored  figures  on  it. 
"This  is  a  back  shield,"  he  said,  "and 
the  Huichols  do  not  do  right  by  those 
things.  They  place  them  in  the  trails 
leading  out  of  their  country,  to  pre- 
vent the  rain  from  coming  to  us. 
Lions  and  other  ferocious  animals  are 
often  represented  on  them,  and  they 
frighten  the  rain  back." 

On  our  return  to  the  dancing-place  I  found  the  man 
who  had  been  deputed  to  make  the  god's  eye  lying  in  a 
small  cave  in  quite  an  exhausted  condition,  having  fasted 


God's  Eve,  made  hy 
the  Cora  Tribe  as  a 
Prayer  for  my  Health 
and  Life.  Length, 
80  ctm. 


522  UNKNOWN  MEXICO 

for  many  days.  The  ceremonial  object  had  already  been 
made,  under  incantations.  It  was  very  pretty,  white 
and  blue,  and  had  a  wad  of  cotton  attached  to  each 
corner.  Its  efficacy  was,  however,  lost  as  far  as  I  was 
concerned,  as  I  iiad  not  been  sitting  beside  the  man 
while  he  made  it,  praying  for  what  I  wanted.  This  is  a 
necessary  condition  if  the  Morning  Star  is  to  be  made 
to  understand  clearly  what  the  supplicant  needs. 

On  the  altar,  beside  the  sacred  bowl  of  the  commu- 
nity, had  been  placed  food  and  many  ceremonial  objects, 
not  omitting  the  five  ears  of  seed-corn  to  be  used  in 
raising  the  corn  required  for  the  feasts.  In  the  ground 
immediatclv  in  front  of  the  altar  were  four  bunches  of 
the  beautiful  tail-feathers  of  the  bluejay. 

Opposite  to  this,  on  the  west  side  of  the  place,  was 
another  altar,  a  smaller  one,  on  which  had  been  put 
some  boiled  pinole  in  potsherds,  with  tortillas  and  a 
basket  of  cherries.  This  was  for  the  dead,  who  if  dis- 
satisfied might  disturb  the  feast.  Afterward  the  pinole 
is  thrown  on  the  ground,  while  the  people  eat  the  rest 
of  the  food. 

The  fasting  shaman  came  forth  on  our  arrival  and 
took  his  position  opposite  the  main  altar,  talkiiig  to  the 
gods  for  half  an  hour.  The  newly  made  god's  eye  had 
been  stuck  into  the  ground  in  front  of  him.  On  liis  left 
side  stood  the  little  girl,  and  behind  her  the  old  woman, 
her  guardian,  and  a  man,  who  was  smoking  tobacco. 
Two  young  men,  one  at  the  right,  the  other  at  the  left, 
held  in  their  hands  sticks  with  which  the\'  woke  up  peo- 
ple who  fell  asleep  during  the  night  while  the  dance 
was  going  on. 

The  shaman  prayed  to  the  Morning  Star,  presented 
to  iiim  the  ears  of  corn  that  were  to  be  used  as  seed,  and 
asked  him  to  make  them  useful  for  planting.  The  gods 
know  best  how  to   fructify  I  lie  grains,  since  all  the  corn 


SINGING   AND    DANCING  523 

belongs  to  them.  "  And  as  for  this  man,"  he  added, 
speaking  of  me,  "you  all  knew  him  before  he  started 
from  his  own  eountrv.  To  us  he  seems  to  be  good,  but 
you  alone  know  his  heart.  Vou  give  him  the  god's  eye 
he  asked  for." 

A  little  after  dark  the  singer  for  the  oeeasion  began 
to  plav  a  i)relude  on  the  musical  bow,  which  tiie  Coras 
alwavs  glue  to  the  gourd,  uniting  the  two  parts  to  form 
one  instrument.     The  gourd  was  placed  over  a  small  ex- 

CoRA  MiToTE  Song,   from  Santa  Teresa. 

ten.        fen. 


K.-r,— 


cavation  in  the  ground  to  increase  its  resonance.  The 
singer  invoked  the  Morning  Star  to  come  with  his 
brothers,  the  other  stars,  to  bring  with  them  their  pipes 
and  i)lumes,  and  arrive  dancing  with  the  rain-clouds 
that  emanate  from  their  pipes  as  they  smoke.  The 
Morning  Star  was  also  asked  to  invite  the  seven  prin- 
cipal Taquats  to  come  with  their  plumes  and  pipes. 

The  Coras  dance  like  the  Tepehuanes  and  the 
Aztecs,  but  with  quicker  steps,  and  every  time  they 
pass  the  altar  the  dancers  turn  twice  sharply  toward  it. 
At  regular  intervals  the  old  woman  and  the  little  girl 
danced,  the  former  smoking  a  pipe.  The  little  girl 
had  parrot  feathers  tied  to  her  forehead  and  a  bunch  of 
plumes  from  the  bluejay  stood  up  from  the  back  of  her 


524  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

head.  In  the  middle  of  the  ni^ht  slie  danced  live  cir- 
cuits, caiTving-  a  good-sized  drinking-g-ourd  containing 
water  from  a  near-by  brook,  which  originates  in  tlie 
sacred  lagoon. 

The  shaman  sang  well,  but  the  dancing  lacked  ani- 
mation, and  but  few  took  part  in  it.  When  the  little 
girl  began  to  dance  with  her  grandmoliier,  I  serrted 
myself  on  a  small  ledge  not  far  from  the  musician. 
Immediatelv  the  shaman  stopped  }ilaving  and  the  dan- 
cing ceased.  In  an  almost  harsh  voice,  and  greatly 
excited,  he  called  to  me,  "  Come  and  sit  here,  sir !  " 
He  was  evidently  very  anxious  to  get  me  awav  from 
the  ledge,  and  offered  me  a  much  better  seat  on  one  of 
the  stones  placed  for  the  principal  men.  I  had  inad- 
vertently sat  on  a  Taquat  !  This  sacred  rock  of  the 
dancing-place  had  a  natural  hollow,  which  the  Intlians 
think  is  his  votive  bowl,  and  into  which  they  put 
pinole  and  other  food.  "  Never,"  my  friend  told  me 
next  day,  "  had  anvone  sat  there  before." 

Later  in  the  evening,  when  there  was  a  pause  in  the 
performance,  I  noticed  that  all  the  men,  with  the  sing- 
ing shaman,  gathered  in  a  corner  of  the  dancing-place, 
seating  themselves  on  the  ground.  They  were  discuss- 
ing what  they  should  do  in  regard  to  the  skulls  I  had 
asked  for.  One  of  the  principal  men  told  them  that 
a  dream  lasc  night  had  advised  him  not  to  den\'  the 
"  Seiior "  anything  he  asked  for,  as  he  had  to  have  a 
"head"  and  would  not  iio  without  one.  "  N'ou  are 
daft,  and  he  comes  here  knowing"  a  good  ileal,"  the 
(licam  had  said. 

They  all  became  alarmed,  especially  the  man  who 
had  steadily  opposed  their  cotnplying  with  my  request, 
and  the)'  agreed  that  it  was  better  to  give  the  white  man 
what  he  wanted.  The  gobernador  even  raised  the  ques- 
tion whether   it   would    not    be   best    to   let  me   have  the 


END   OF   THE   FEAST  52^ 

skulls  early  next  morn i  1112;,  together  with  the  other 
things  1  was  to  get;  or,  if  not  then,  at  what  other 
time?  My  shaman  friend  diplomatieally  proposed  that 
.  should  set  the  time  for  this. 

Next  morning  I  got  the  god's  eye  as  well  as  a  splen- 
did speeimen  of  a  musical  bow  with  the  gourd  attached, 
the  plaving-sticks,  etc.,  all  of  which  were  taken  out  of  a 
cav^e  near  the  dancing-place.  There  was  another  cave 
near  by,  into  which  the  principal  men  are  accustomed  to 
go  to  ask  permission  from  the  sun  and  moon  and  all 
the  other  Taquats  to  make  their  feasts. 

The  morning  saw  the  feast  concluded  in  about  the 
usual  w^ay.  Tobacco  was  smoked  over  the  seed-corn  on 
the  altar,  and  sacred  water  was  sprinkled  from  a  red 
orchid  over  everything  on  the  altar,  including  the  sacred 
bowl  and  the  flowers  on  top  of  it,  as  well  as  over  the 
heads  of  all  the  people  present,  to  insure  health  and 
luck.  This  is  done  on  behalf  of  the  Morning  Star, 
because  he  throws  blessed  water  over  the  whole  earth, 
and  on  the  corn  and  the  fruit  the  Coras  eat.  The 
flowers  are  afterward  taken  home,  even  by  the  children, 
and  put  in  cracks  in  the  house  walls,  where  they  remain 
until  removed  by  the  hand  of  time. 

The  people  of  Santa  Teresa  and  San  Francisco,  at 
certain  rain-making  feasts,  fashion  a  large  locust  {cJii- 
cJiarra)  out  of  a  paste  made  of  ground  corn  and 
beans,  and  place  it  on  the  altar.  In  the  morning, 
after  the  dancing  of  the  mitote,  it  is  divided  among 
the  participants  of  the  feast,  each  eating  his  share. 
This  is  considered  more  efficient  even  than  the  dancinor 
itself. 

It  is  evident  that  the  religious  customs  of  the  canon 
of  Jesus  Maria  are  on  the  wane,  mainlv  because  the 
singing  shamans  are  dying  out,  though  curing  shamans 
will   remain    for  centuries    vet.      As    the    Indians    now 


526  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

have  to  perform  iheir  dances  secietl\-,  the  growincr  gen- 
eration has  less  inclination  and  little  opj)ortunity  to 
learn  them,  and  the  tribe's  ritual  and  comprehensive 
sonijs  will  o^raduallv  become  lost. 

My  shaman  friend  in  San  Francisco  complained  to 
me  that  the  other  shamans  did  not  know  the  words  of 
the  songs  well  enough.  Tayop  (Father  Sun)  and  the 
other  gods  do  not  understand  them,  he  said,  and  tliere- 
fore  these  shamans  cannot  accomplish  anything  with 
"  los  senores."  It  was  like  sending  a  badly  written  let- 
ter :  "  the  gentlemen  "  pass  it  from  one  to  another,  none 
of  them  being  able  to  make  out  its  meaning. 

In  the  mean  time  my  efforts  to  obtain  anthropologi- 
cal specimens  were  more  laborious  than  successful,  be- 
cause it  was  very  difficult  to  get  anyone  to  show  me 
where  they  could  be  found.  To  make  things  worse, 
suddenly  another  man  dreamed  that  I  had  enough 
"  heads,"  and  so  I  was  not  permitted  to  search  for  them 
any  more.  But  I  did  not  intend  to  content  myself 
with  the  few  I  had  secured.  I  had  made  arrano;^ements 
with  a  Cora  some  time  before  to  show  me  some  skulls 
he  knew  of,  and  after  much  procrastination  on  his  part 
I  at  last  got  him  to  accompany  me. 

We  rode  for  fifteen  miles  in  the  direction  of  Santa 
Teresa.  The  country  was  rough  and  but  sparsely  inhab- 
ited. In  fact,  I  passed  three  deserted  ranches,  and  near 
one  of  them  I  killed  a  Gila  monster  that  was  just  mak- 
ing its  burrow.  There  lay  an  air  of  antiquity  over  the 
whole  landscape.  About  half  a  league  before  reaching 
the  caves  we  sought,  I  came  upon  (juite  an  extensive 
fortification  ;  T  also  noticed  a  nuinl)er  of  trincheras  in 
one  arroyo;  and  above  it  on  a  mesa,  running  along  the 
edge,  we  found  a  wall  built  of  loose  stones.  The  mesa, 
300  bv  200  feet  in  extent,  was  a  natural  fortress  difficult 
of  access,  exce})t  at   one    ])oint   where   a    little   cordon. 


UNABLE   TO    TRAVEL  527 

like  an  isthmus,  led  to  it.  Here,  however,  1  foutul  no 
vestiii^e  of  ancient  inhabitants. 

There  were  two  shallow  caves  close  to  each  other  in 
the  remote  valley  into  which  the  guide  had  led  me.  In 
the  larger  one,  which  was  eight  feet  deep  and  twelve 
feet  broad,  nine  skulls  were  found.  In  the  other  were 
only  a  few  bones,  and  I  noticed  indications  of  parti- 
tions, in  the  shape  of  upright  stones,  between  the  skele- 
tons. The  bodies  must  have  been  partly  buried,  with 
the  heads  protruding,  in  spaces  a  foot  square. 

It  was  nearing  dusk  and  I  had  to  get  back  to  my 
camp  that  evening.  On  the  road  my  mule  gave  out, 
and  for  the  last  part  of  the  way  I  had  to  walk.  I  re- 
freshed myself  with  some  zapotes,  which  were  just  in 
season.  This  native  fruit  of  Mexico  has  the  flavour  of 
the  pear  and  the  strawberry,  and  is  delicious  when  picked 
fresh  from  the  tree;  but  as  soon  as  it  falls  to  the  ground 
it  is  infested  wnth  insects. 

Contrary  to  expectation,  when  I  was  ready  to  leave 
the  village,  I  found  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  get  men. 
As  the  Coras  here  do  not  understand  the  mule  business, 
I  had  to  resort  to  the  Mexicans  in  the  valley,  who,  how- 
ever, acting  under  instructions  from  the  padre,  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  me.  They  even  shunned  those 
who  were  seen  in  my  company.  One  man  who  used  to 
carry  on  some  trading  with  the  Huichols  was  more 
daring  than  the  rest.  He  declared  that  he  would  serve 
the  devil  himself  if  he  got  paid  for  it,  and  tried  to  make 
up  a  party  for  me,  but  failed.  He  was  ruining  his  repu- 
tation for  my  sake,  he  told  me  ;  even  his  compadre  (his 
child's  godfather),  on  account  of  his  association  with  me, 
ran  away  when  he  saw  him  coming.  The  situation 
finally  became  so  exasperating  that  I  was  compelled  to 
write  to  the   Bishop  in  Tcpic,  and  lay  the  case  before 


528  UNKNOWN   MEXICO 

him.  I  stated  that  the  padre,  witliout  having  seen  me, 
had  placed  me  in  a  had  hght  hefore  tiic  people,  and 
had  then  left  the  country,  making  it  impossible  for  me 
to  convince  him  of  his  error  of  judgment ;  that  if  it 
were  not  for  the  strong  recommendations  I  had  from 
the  Government  and  the  Commanding  General  of  the 
Territory,  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  stav  here, 
except  at  great  personal  risk. 

To  await  an  answer,  however,  would  have  involved 
too  great  a  loss  of  time.  Luckily  I  found  three  dare- 
devil fellows,  but  recently  come  into  the  valley  for  a 
living,  who  were  willing  to  go  with  me.  These,  to- 
gether with  the  man  already  mentioned  and  one  Cora 
Indian,  enabled  me  to  make  a  start.  Thus  I  parted 
from  pretty  San  Francisco,  and  the  nice  Indians  there, 
who  had  believed  in  me  in  spite  of  the  wickedness  the 
Mexicans  had  attributed  to  me.  The  Coras  are  the 
only  primitive  race  I  have  met  who  seem  to  have  ac- 
quired the  good  qualities  of  the  white  man  and  none  of 
his  bad  ones. 

On  an  oppressively  hot  June  morning,  when  I  finally 
got  away,  the  alcalde  rode  along  with  me  for  a  couple 
of  miles.  We  soon  began  to  ascend  the  slope  of  the 
mountains  that  form  the  western  barrier  of  the  Huichol 
country,  which,  among  the  Mexicans,  is  reputed  to  be 
accessible  only  at  four  points.  Next  morning,  while 
packing  the  mules,  the  father  of  one  of  my  Mexicans 
ran  up  to  us  with  a  message  that  seemed  quite  alarm^ 
ing.  Immediately  after  I  left  San  Francisco  yesterday, 
the  Mexican  authority  at  Jesus  Maria  had  come  over 
to  tell  me  that  the  Iluichols  were  on  the  warpath 
and  determined  not  to  allow  me  to  enter  their  pueblos. 
The  messenger  impressed  uj)on  mv  men  the  necessity 
of  turning  back  and  implored  them  not  to  run  any  risk 
by  accompanying  me.     Tlie  chief  packer  came  hastilv 


A    CRISIS  529 

to  mc  with  this  news,  wliich  I  at  once  declared  to 
be  false.  But  the  men,  nevertheless,  stopped  packing, 
and  proposed  to  go  back.  They  declared  that  the 
Huichols  were  bad,  that  they  were  assassins,  that  there 
were  many  of  them,  and  that  they  would  kill  us  all. 

Now,  what  was  I  to  do  ?  To  turn  back  from  the 
tribe  the  studv  of  wiiich  had  been  from  the  outset  my 
principal  aim  was  not  to  be  thought  of  ;  even  to  delay 
the  trip  would  be  impossible,  as  the  wet  season  was  fast 
approaching,  in  which  one  cannot  travel  for  months. 
I  tried  to  reason  with  them  and  to  ease  their  minds 
by  pointing  out  the  great  experience  I  had  had  with 
Indians  in  general.  I  also  appealed  to  their  manly  pride 
and  courage.  "  Have  we  not  five  rifles?"  I  said.  "Can- 
not each  one  of  you  fight  fifty  Indians?"  Still  they 
wavered,  and  it  looked  as  if  they  were  going  to  desert 
me,  when  the  cook  courageously  exclaimed:  ''VdmoSy 
vdmos!"  ("  Let  us  go  on  ! ")  They  again  began  to 
pack,  and  I  managed  to  keep  my  troupe  together. 

The  real  danger  for  me  lay  in  the  evil  rumours  the 
Mexicans  had  spread,  and  in  the  fact  that  the  whites 
were  afraid  of  me.  The  Indians  do  not  follow  the 
"  neighbours  "  in  their  reasoning  ;  they  only  think  that 
a  white  man  of  whom  even  the  Mexicans  are  afraid 
must  certainly  be  terrible.  The  reason  why  I  had 
chosen  this  route  was  that  a  friend  of  mine  in  far-away 
Guadalajara  had  given  me  a  letter  of  recommendation 
to  an  acquaintance  of  his,  a  half-caste,  who  acted  as  es- 
cribano  (secretary)  to  the  pueblo  of  San  Andres,  or,  to 
give  its  name  in  full,  San  Andres  Coamiata.  I  had 
been  told  that  this  man  was  temporarily  absent,  in  which 
case  I  should  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  strange  Indians. 

The  immediate  prospect  looked  dark  enough  to 
make  me  consider  the  advisability  of  the  long  detour  to 
the  town  of  Mezquitic,  to  get  assistance  from   the  gov- 

Vul..    I.— 34 


530  UNKNOWN    MEXICO 

cninuMil  aiit h.oiiiies  iIrtc  and  to  enter  the  Iluichul 
countrv  from  the  east  by  way  of  Santa  Catarina. 
Asrainst  this  i)lan,  howex'er,  niv  men  uro-ed  that  tliev^ 
cotUd  not  be  baek  in  their  country  before  the  wet  season 
set  in,  to  attend  to  their  fields.  Finally,  I  decided  to 
risk  i]^oino  to  San  Andres.  If  Don  Zeferino  was  not 
there,  I  woidd  come  baek  and  then  try  Mezqu  tic. 
"Fwo  days  later,  after  a  laborious  ascent,  I  sent  my  chief 
packer  ahead  to  San  Andres,  which  was  still  about  eic^ht 
miles  off.  What  a  mountainous  countrv  all  around 
us  !  The  Jesuit  father  Ortega  was  right  when  he  said  of 
the  Sierra  del  Nayarit :  "  It  is  so  wild  and  frightful  to 
behold  that  its  ruggedness,  ev^en  more  than  the  arrows 
of  its  warlike  inhabitants,  took  away  the  courage  of  thi; 
conquerors,  because  not  only  did  the  ridges  and  valleys 
appear  inaccessible,  but  the  extended  range  of  towering 
mountain  peaks  confused  even  the  eye." 

Mv  messenger  returned  after  two  days,  saying  that 
Don  Zeferino  was  at  home  and  would  be  at  my  disposal. 
In  the  meantime  it  had  begun  to  rain  ;  my  men  were 
anxious  to  return  home  to  the  valley,  and  I  started  for 
San  Andres. 


END    OF    VOL.    I. 


PLATE    I 


PLATE    n 


PLATE   III 


PLATE    IV. 


PLATE  V. 


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